Broken
by ZeroPlan
Summary: Piper Chapman found her world turned upside down at Litchfield Island, a whole new world of superheroes. (AU/Vauseman)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_Those eyes. The bluest shade of blue Alex Vause had ever seen._

_Occupying a table in the far corner, Alex's attention was on the slender, young woman at the counter. She took in every detail. Every movement of her body. Every intake of a breath. _

Piper Chapman.

_Twenty-two years old. 172 cm. Blonde. Smith graduate. A wealthy family. A privileged life—a 'something' Alex never knew. Fascinated by the sight of deep blue eyes reflected on the mirror behind the bar, Alex watched her target as she enjoyed her cup of coffee. She liked her caffeine at midnight. It kept her on high alert. It suited her job. After all, she was an errand girl. Whatever they would like to call it, it had made her feel useful—important at times. And that was all she had wished for, being somewhat visible._

_So blue… Alex pondered. Then she flinched the moment the blue gaze traveled in short, snappy flickers, and halted at the reflection of Alex's own green pools. It all happened in the mirror. Fleeting and surreal. After a moment, Alex had to force her gaze down at the coffee cup in her hands instead, but immediately felt stupid at her action._

What… the hell are you doing? Pull yourself together!

_Alex silently cursed. She had never been the one to shy away. She was the predator—the spider, and they were all just flies. Taking in a deep breath, she lazily ran her hand through the thick mane of her raven hair, and looked up. She stared into the mirror again, meeting the expectant, curious eyes. But she froze. She failed again. She would usually know what the looks meant, but her mind was acting funny tonight. It was all a blurry, crazy mix of weird excitements, untamed curiosities and primal needs. Alex knew just how much trouble she was in when they weren't even touching. They were simply gazing at each other._

_It was the night both Alex and Piper would never forget—how they first met._

* * *

Piper was vomiting green stuff out of her hot, burning throat. She couldn't tell what it was, but she knew that it was bad.

"Piper, honey, are you all right?"

Piper glanced up from the toilet bowl, breathing heavily. Her face was gaunt from months of sleepless nights. There were dark rings around her usually vibrant, blue eyes. Her body felt burnt, her stomach ached. She couldn't tell if those were sweats or tears running down her face. Her entire arms trembled from the harsh grips on the white ceramic. Her knees pained from an hour of kneeling on the cold, tiled floor. "Yeah, just… just gimme a minute."

Larry looked worried, his hand rested on the wooden door. "Are you sure? Do you want me to call an ambulance—"

"_No!_" Piper shrieked, but immediately lowered her voice, knowing how alarming it had sounded to her boyfriend. "N—no. No, I'm fine. Don't call an ambulance. Just—" She paused for a breath. "… just don't call anyone." Her body was weak. Her head was heavy. She sank to the bathroom floor, hugging her knees to her chest. What happened tonight was a just nightmare and nothing more.

_Nothing_.

But it was a nightmare that had started five years ago. It had started as soon as the mysterious, dark-haired stranger walked into her life, and it had seemed to know no end. Hungry. Crazy. Relentless. After four years of repression, which had only grown weaker and more desperate each time _it_ happened, tonight had just proven that there was no point of return. None.

Hugging herself tighter, Piper whispered to herself, "…fine… I'll be fine…"

_No… God, I need help…_

* * *

A month later Piper found herself on the cryptic island. It took only a month for her world to shatter—for everything she had ever known to become one big lie. What surprised her the most, however, was that her future father-in-law had suspected and expected it all along. Howard Bloom was _the_ help she needed. He knew what it was. He was one of them.

Standing by the pier, Piper was wearing a beige trench coat, a wooly, black dress underneath. Her shoulder-length blonde hair danced in the fierce wind. She looked a little pale, nervous and scared. Both her hands snuck in the coat's pockets. She bit her bottom lip as she gazed up at green highlands. It was to become her new home. It was supposed to be where she belonged, or at least it was what she was told. Somewhere secluded. Somewhere hidden away from the rest of the world.

_That's right._ Piper thought bitterly. No more extravagant parties. No more luncheons with the privileged blondes of her class. Now she was stuck on a godforsaken island. Green of nature. In the middle of nowhere. She was sure that her friends would forget to ring her up in two-week time, and she just didn't want to imagine what life was waiting for her after she was done with this 'safe place'. Her pessimism said months or years before she could pull herself together.

Larry sighed. "Come now." His words pulled her out of her thoughts.

His arms around her, Piper had never felt safer before in her entire life. Not even with her parents around. Not with her brother cooking for her. Not with their reassuring words. She had never felt so safe with anyone but Larry Bloom. They had made a promise, a silent promise that they would carry on and cherish each other to the end.

They both stood by the pier. Larry, a dark-haired man in his early thirties, glanced back at the ferryboat behind them. He was of average height. Not too short, but not too tall either. Straight, big nose. Thin lips. Dark, doe eyes. His hands were warm and reassuring, the hands that had guided Piper through her insecurities and fears.

Larry squeezed Piper's hands as he looked straight into her eyes. If Piper's life had been anything but lies, he was the only truth she had ever known. "My father will take good care of you. You have nothing to be afraid of. He's like—I think he's like God around here." He heartily laughed, trying to ease the heavy silence. "Well, no, I don't really know. Dad doesn't usually tell me things. Well, there's a reason for that, right? Well… uh, b—but I'm sure… I'm sure that he will take good care of you. You're going to make a lot of new friends here. People like you."

Piper frowned. "People like me? What?"

Larry paused. "Whoa. No, that's not what I meant—"

"No. No, say it. What do you mean by that? People like me? What is that?"

Larry gently took her hands and held them close to his heart. "I'm sorry. I picked the wrong words, I guess. Look, it's your first day here, and _away_ from me. So please let's not start a fight now? I can't. I miss you already, Piper. I don't wanna go home with this fight hanging over me for what—weeks or months before they'd allow you to see me again? This is worse than you going to prison."

Piper shook her head. "I'm never going to prison. I'm not like that kind of person."

Larry furiously nodded. "Yes. Yes, that's what I meant. But all I'm saying is that… right now, I can't. I don't want to fight. I miss you terribly… Please?"

Larry smiled, and Piper smiled back. She knew that he was right. She couldn't afford to have a fight unresolved between them now. Who knew how long it would be before they could see each other again?

Piper clutched back his hands. "I'll miss you so much."

Their hands locked with each other, the couple looked at the highlands before them. The sky was gray, and they could see nothing else from the pier. It was the strangest place they had ever been. An island not too far away off the east coast, yet felt a world away for both of them. Where were they? Where would it all lead them?

"I'll be waiting for you," Larry mumbled, "Come back, Piper. I'll be waiting."

Piper tore her gaze from the scenery and turned to him. She studied, memorizing each of his garments. His black, leather gloves. His black beanie. The gray scarf around his neck. His pale skin and strong hands. His dark eyes that meant heaven to her. His reassuring words that she was not entirely lost to this new, strange world—that she still 'belonged' in the old world.

"Chapman. Piper Chapman?" A voice came from behind.

Piper turned and saw a woman with a short, red hair. The woman looked healthy in her early sixties, a smile on her thin lips.

"Yeah, that'd be me," Piper said.

"Mr. Bloom has been expecting you." The red-haired woman then extended her hand. "Jane Ingalls."

Piper shook her hand. "Nice to meet you." Then, she began to follow Ingalls down the pier. She looked over her shoulder and found that Larry had been ushered back to the ferryboat. They blew goodbye kisses and already waited with heavy hearts when they could see each other again.

* * *

The two-lane road curved along the endless, rocky shores. The van took Piper deeper into the private island. The trees were large and ancient, and the fog was thick. They couldn't see further than ten meters ahead of them. It felt like a different world altogether, and only minutes here Piper was already scared that she would be forgotten on the outside world.

Ingalls stayed quiet for most of the ride, but the younger woman, Lorna Morello, the dark-haired, beautiful driver, explained a few things about the island. The ferry left only once a day at precisely ten in the morning. Residents were free to leave on any day they choose. However, newbies must wait until their probation period ended before they were granted such freedom. Three phone calls were allowed each day. They would have three meals at precisely 8 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. There was a public bath on each floor (of the 3-stories building), and a roommate would be assigned.

All the information, however, suffocated Piper, and she turned to look away to the scenery outside instead. "Are you… like me? Or do you just work here?" Piper asked.

"We're all gifted here." Ingalls softly patted the young woman's shoulder.

Piper put up a polite smile. '_Gifted_' was a nice way to call it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The huge, three-story mansion came into view as the van reached the end of the road. It appeared to locate in the middle of the island, views of highlands to the north and the ocean view to the south. Piper exited the vehicle and got her black suitcase with her. She didn't bring much. She had her whole life out there, and she would do anything in her power to make the stay here as short as possible.

* * *

"Sit." The word came soft, but cold.

Gulping, Piper sat down on the chair as instructed.

Across the large, oaken desk was her future father-in-law, Howard Bloom. She had been with Larry for three years, but for some reason his father never warmed up to her. Howard had always seemed distant—restrained. They never talked much, never holding a conversation longer than five minutes. He never wanted to get to know her, and she never tried to oppose his stance. Their mutual understanding was to stay away from each other. Yes, it did come across her mind. It did nag her as to why he was behaving that way. She had always thought that she was the wild type he never wanted for his son. She had thought many things, but her having _gifted_ _abilities_ was never one of them. She would never in a million years expect Howard to know of the existence of superpowers, let alone holding a place for people like her.

_Surprised? After all these years?_ Piper paused as the past caught up with her. She remembered that night four years ago, when she had thought that she had found the love of her life—when she had thought that her life could not have been any more perfect than that. But it had disappeared. It had vanished in just a matter of moment. She had been proven wrong, and it had only gotten worse from there. Larry was probably the only good thing that had happened to her in recent years.

"Did you know?" Piper asked. "Did you know that I have this… strange thing?"

Howard was a small man. He didn't possesses any threatening features, but as he sat in this office, in a mansion on a secluded island off the east coast, he seemed to hold many threatening secrets that Piper didn't want to know. He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together across his stomach. He was in a wooly, crimson sweater and a pair of gray slacks. "It's not _strange_. It's natural. You were born with it. You are here to get to know your powers better, so that you can channel and control them, and not accidentally hurt other people. Everyone here has gone through the same pains and problems as you have. You will be safe here."

Still, Piper wouldn't let go. She frowned as she studied him. "How long have you known?"

Howard paused for a moment. "About you? Well, my first suspicion came when we were on the cruise two years ago."

Piper stopped at the mention of the trip. She had tried to bury the memories of those horrified moments. She had never discussed or mentioned it with anyone, but here it was, her future father-in-law was digging up the subject out of the blue as if he had known for a long time.

"The ship would have sunken, and there would be hundreds of losses that night. But I sensed it. A presence. A powerful one." Howard adjusted his glasses. "I've been around long enough, but I don't assume things. So I wasn't going to spy on you. You may say that I have a hunch, and usually I am right most of the times."

Piper jadedly nodded as the memories of that night returned. The ship had hit some rocks. She recalled the panicked faces, the screams and the horror in their eyes. She remembered how extremely exhausted she had felt as if her whole body had been torn apart again and again. After returning home from the trip, she had gone into a six-day deep sleep without waking up even for a sip of water. She had wakened again to find herself in a hospital. It had appeared that Larry had admitted her into the hospital out of fear for her life. He still had no idea what had happened then, and she hadn't planned to tell him of the incident yet. She was afraid that he might be scared of her—or what her powers could do.

"Yeah… so I moved the fucking ship. I didn't even know how I did it. I still don't, but I'm going to get it here, right? This has to count, being here… for how long… I… I can't… What is this place? What do I have to do here?"

Howard leaned over the desk, a curiosity sparked in his eyes. "I am truly curious what had driven you to move a whole ship. It must be something."

A survival instinct? Or a deadly promise she once made to herself that she would stay alive for the faithful moment to come no matter how long it would take? Piper looked away for a second, her cold hands on her stiffened knees. She was remembering too much. She was feeling too much. Sometimes it felt as though a sweet revenge was all she lived for.

"You will learn to control your powers, Piper. I promise that you wouldn't lose it and hurt anyone again." Howard cleared his throat, leaning back into his comfy chair. "I won't let you hurt my son."

Piper's thoughts ceased at his last words. Her head jerked up, and she stared at him, saddened. No, she would never hurt Larry.

* * *

"Your bed is on the right. I just had the maid clean up."

The room gave a cozy feel with lacquered wooden floor and two identical sets of wood furniture. Warm rays of sunlight came through the twin windows, separating the room in half. Each side offered a single bed, a bedside table, a working station and a closet.

Piper studied her roommate a bit. She was somewhat relieved that Polly Harper, a brunette, young lady, seemed harmless and polite. She was just normal. 'Normal' was what Piper needed now. They might even hit it off at some party on the mainland even. "Thanks," she said, and put the suitcase on the bed.

Polly pulled the curtains open wider, letting more light into the room. "It's good that you came in today, Piper. I can still show you around a bit. I'll be heading back home tomorrow, and you'll be stuck here alone for two weeks or something."

Piper unpacked her suitcase. "You can go home…? How long does it usually take for a resident to get the permission to leave?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.

Polly sank comfortably on her own bed, a tablet in her hands. "My power is prehensile hair. It can grow really long and do some stuff, but I don't use it that much. I hate it when it drags on the floor. Ew." She made a face. "Well, given my background and excellent family supports, I've been pretty harmless towards others, so I was allowed to go home after the first few weeks here. I can't say the same about the others."

Piper silently nodded. "Then why are you still here?"

Polly grinned. "There are a lot of frustrated, scared and helpless people here. Many of them were disowned by their parents. They don't have jobs or didn't even finish school. Mr. Bloom certainly needs all the help he can get, and I'm here to help. What about you? What's your talent?"

_Talent._ Piper chuckled at the choice of word. "I… I, uh… I move things."

Polly straightened up, lowering her tablet. "Telekinesis?"

"I think so," Piper replied. She spread out her clothes on the bed, trying to determine each wrinkle on the fabrics. Her mother wouldn't approve any of it, and the thought gave her headache even if the woman wasn't here. When silence prolonged, she turned and looked at her roommate.

Polly was wide-eyed, her mouth gaping in shock. She was almost hugging her poor tablet. "Have you ever hurt someone with your powers?"

Piper immediately looked down and focused on the items laid out on the bed. "It saved my life. Four years ago, it saved me…" _It saved me from a really horrible, evil person._ "Then it saved hundreds on the cruise ship." She took a deep breath before she added, "But it threw my brother out of the car when we had a fight just a month ago. I had absolutely no control over it. It was just… a small disagreement."

It was a heated argument. Although Cal was usually calm, Piper was a different story. She was proper or volcanic the next moment. Ever since her powers were awakened, her temperaments seemed to have changed as well. Unfortunately, she hadn't been feeling well for weeks prior. She hadn't been able to get in touch with her powers when the drive happened. When the fight started, she had only felt the powers building up within her, but had no control over it. What happened was the deepest regret in her entire life. She wouldn't know what to do if Cal died that day. It was the reason she willingly submitted herself to this 'special' island.

"I'm gonna sleep with Jessica tonight. Don't take this personally, Piper, but that sounds absolutely insane. I can't believe that they assigned you here." Polly groaned.

Piper began to fidget in her pose. "I understand. I'll ask them to move me, if you want me to—"

"You see that old building right there?" Polly moved towards the window, pointing out.

Piper squinted. Behind the thick woods, she could see the roof of another building. It looked much older and uncared for. Its size was twice as large as this mansion. "What is that? Another dorm?"

"Yep, the South Mansion. We're in the North, the newer one, the safe place with harmless superpowers. I think you belong to the South, but considering your boyfriend…" Polly sat back down on her bed, concentrating on her tablet again. "You can have my room."

Piper grew uneasy. "Hey, I—I won't hurt you—"

"They all say the same thing." Polly even looked understanding as she sighed. "I am one of the easiest members to be able to leave the island, so I think that's why they assigned you with me. Well, you seem like a really nice girl, Piper. Learn your craft, and get out of here."

Nodding, Piper resumed her unpacking. She just hoped that it was as easy as it sounded.

* * *

The first dinner at Litchfield Island came at precisely six o'clock. Inside the large cafeteria, Piper was seated next to Polly, who had just introduced her to Jessica Wedge and her gang. The four blondes occupied the opposite side of the long, wooden dining table. They were looking at Piper up and down, judging her with curious smiles and whispers.

A cream-smeared fork in one hand, Jessica glanced sideway at one of the girls. "What do you girls think?"

"Telekinesis is bad." The second blonde spoke.

"Dangerous and unpredictable, wouldn't you say?"

The fourth blonde shook her head. "She should be in the South. Why isn't she in the ghetto?"

Piper sat quietly, letting the four blondes do all the talking. Polly glanced at her a bit.

"She's going to be Mrs. Bloom soon, just so you know," Polly said over meal.

"_Ah_." Jessica raised her brows in mockery.

"Ah." Piper put up a smile in return. Jessica was a very pretty woman, with nice smiles and great figure. But Piper just really, really didn't like her all that much. There was just something about this bitch.

"Wait. Larry Bloom, right?" Jessica hummed. "You must be something special. Because Howard, AKA _the_ Bloom, has always been clear that he doesn't want a 'gifted' girl for his son. I always love it when he uses that word, 'gifted'. He couldn't even make it sound sincere. And to think that he's one of us, taking care of this place. He's quite a conflicted man, isn't he?"

Piper paused at the information. She had no knowledge of this isolated island before, or what Howard had been doing behind his lawyer façade. Howard and she never brawled, not even a bit, but there was always that strange distance—the invisible wall between them. Maybe it was just what Howard had admitted earlier today that he had suspected her all along. Howard feared for his son.

Piper put down her fork, her appetite completely lost at the moment. The mere thought of Larry tore her heart. It hadn't even been a day since they parted, but it already felt unbearable to her. She wanted to call him now. She needed to hear that they would be ok after all of this—that he would not waver and cower to his father's will.

"_Conflicted_ is all of us, don't you think?"

Piper, Polly and the blonde gang looked up at the interruption. A strawberry-blonde woman in her early thirties approached them with a tray of food in her hands. She sat down next to Piper, smirking with a toothpick between her teeth. She was rather small, but with a fiery, lion hair. Her eyes were round with a dark shade of hazel.

"Hello." Piper automatically responded.

"Hey, beautiful. Nicky Nichols." The woman said, and then spat out the toothpick to the side of her own tray. The action earned an immediate turning away from the blonde gang.

Piper had to move away a bit since Nicky sat down so close to her that their arms were brushing. "Piper Chapman. I'm engaged."

Nicky laughed, slapping the table. "Yeah, I can see that three fucking miles away. But he isn't here, is he? You fancy anyone tonight?"

Piper moved an inch away from the weird, lion-hair woman. "I'm here to learn to channel my powers, not to find a date or casual one-night stand," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Yeah, I got my powers just fine. I move fast. I move anything fast. My fingers are fast, too. You fancy?"

"She teleports. She doesn't fuck _fast_," Polly explained to Piper, "People here tend to exaggerate their powers."

Nicky chuckled. "So you've heard about me, or are you interested, Molly?"

"It's Polly," Polly corrected, her face reddened as she glared at Nicky. "You can't sit with us, Nichols."

"Why not? Is this high school?"

Piper inwardly groaned. She now understood why the blonde gang had already evacuated their trays to the other line of tables. She took in a breath. She just couldn't believe this was happening to her on the first day. "Nichols, I am… not interested in women," she said with a calm voice, trying her best to reason with this mad woman.

"Sure, girl." Nicky began to devour her food. After a while, she looked up, wiping the bread crumbs off her lips, and grinned. "Everyone is dangerous here. Don't let them convince you otherwise."

"Oh, thanks for telling me." Piper kept her gaze elsewhere, while trying to decide if she should move to another table. Thankfully, Polly had stayed by her side, and they both exchanged weary glances at each other.

"That Wedge shit, she got ice powers. She can freeze people to death. Not kidding. So don't give in to _this_ or _that_ mansion shit. It's all about whether your parents can pay. The ones in the South? They're from poor families. Some of them never leave this island again because they don't know how to survive out there." Nicky chuckled. "Like I said, everyone is dangerous here. Watch your back."

When Nicky gathered her tray and left the table, Piper turned to Polly for further explanation.

Polly meekly shrugged. "Well, Nichols is kinda right. But those poor—umm, I mean, less fortunate people can be very dangerous, because they have nothing to lose! They constantly fight one another, and sometimes it gets serious and fatal. You really don't want to see what it's like in that dorm. You wouldn't be able to sleep there even for a night. It's just not a place for people like us." She then glanced at Nicky, who was already walking out of the cafeteria. "Her mother is some rich guy's girlfriend, and that's why she can afford to be here with us. But she likes to hang out with those delinquents in the South though."

"If Nichols can go there, can they come here too?" Piper asked.

Polly took a sip of her drink. "There's no rules preventing us from visiting each other, but it doesn't happen often. Nichols is one of a few examples. She has no friends here, and her girlfriend lives in the South."

Speaking of loved ones, Piper stood up from the table. "I need to make a phone call."

* * *

Piper lied down the bed, her hair still wet from the shower. It was only ten o'clock, and her eyes were wide awake. She was in her blue, long-sleeve pajamas. She made a phone call to Larry after dinner, and they talked for twenty minutes. She told him about the people she had met today, reassuring him that she was in a safe place. However, she neglected to tell him about what his father said. She wasn't sure how he would react, and the fact that she had no idea how long it would be until she was allowed to go home, she didn't want to risk complicating things between them.

She glanced at the empty bed next to her. Polly wasn't kidding. The brunette was spending the night at Jessica's room. Piper didn't blame her though. Throwing a brother out of a car would have scared anyone, even Piper herself. Luckily, Cal was a big, strong man, and he landed in a swamp, so he wasn't badly hurt. It touched Piper so deeply that while he was surprised, of course, he wasn't scared of her at all, unlike her parents. He was understanding and even had a pained look in his eyes when she confessed to him that she had been living these past four years in paranoia, having to hide her powers from everyone. Cal was the best thing that happened in her life.

_Oh, wait, second best. Larry should be the first on the list._ Piper chuckled at her slip. Then a darker thought crept in as the list of bad things in her life grew longer and longer, outdoing the happy thoughts. The worst thing that had ever happened in her life had to be her unwanted superpowers. It landed her here, locked her away from the outside world and loved ones like a prisoner. It was all because of her gifts—

_No, it was all because of her…_

It had been the first time in four years that Piper let herself lost in the thought of that woman. That vile woman who came into her life, uninvited—who did this to her.

_She did this to me. She's the whole fucking reason I'm here._

Piper swore that if she ever met her again, she'd kill her with her powers. A payback would be so sweet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Things went rather smoothly for the next two weeks for Piper, and to have the room all to herself to start off with made the time here on Litchfield Island a little more bearable than she had previously thought.

Stretching her legs over the mat, Piper sulked at the thought of her roommate returning tomorrow. She was in a yoga class with a few dozen other residents. Instructor Yoga Jones was in her late forties, skinny, with short, silver hair, and a pair of kind eyes.

The day had progressed ordinarily. They would have yoga, or meditation sessions in the morning, and then 'powers' trainings after lunch. It was a course for residents to learn how to channel their powers. Residents who had nonviolent powers would be grouped together, separated from dangerous ones. The training would start at 2:30 P.M. So far, so good. Piper surprised herself that she had done quite well in trainings, finding and feeling her powers much easier now. She was much more in tune with herself, or perhaps she just felt safer that there were others just like her here.

When Yoga Jones dismissed the class, Piper rolled up her mat just like everyone else.

"Hey, doing anything tonight?"

Piper looked up at Nicky. "Nothing. It's not like I can leave the island even if I wanted to."

"Come on. You don't want to leave." Nicky winked, and Piper just smiled.

Nicky had kept her company while Polly was gone. They always had meals together. The Fantastic Four, AKA Jessica Wedge gang, would not sit with Piper again after that first day with Nicky, but she had no objections about it. She was rather happy that the blondes left her alone. But what Nicky did at night, Piper had never been a part of it. She just assumed that Nicky frequented the South a lot.

"There's a game tonight. They hold it every other week, trying to be discreet and all."

"A game? What kind of game?" Keeping her voice low, Piper watched as other residents began to leave the room. She had always been discreet, a proper girl her father always wanted her to be.

"It's like a fight club thing. People need something, but they can't always afford it. So a pair will fight it out. The winner can ask for a favor, or something similar, and the loser will have to oblige to it."

Piper raised her brows. "Fight with what? Our powers? But that's not allowed outside of class."

Nicky rolled her eyes. "Have you been listening at all?"

"Won't that be dangerous, considering that we can actually—accidentally kill each other with our powers?"

"Oh, yes, it can get pretty rough, and that's why we only allow a pair of fighters at each game. We can't afford to kill too many of us." Nicky darkly chuckled. "Hey, don't worry. Usually when someone knows that they will lose, they will just surrender. Very few actually put their lives at stake."

Piper nodded. "You can teleport. That's a tricky power. Have you ever fought?"

"_Tricky_." Nicky sounded amused.

"Yeah, rapid, counter attacks. It'll be useful."

Nicky's eyes went wide. "Well, thank you, teacher. I'll keep that in mind. Seriously, I've never thought of that. I never fought in the ring before. It's just not my thing, but I like to watch."

"Like betting who will win?" Piper stood up, holding the rolled up mat in her arm. "That, I think, is the whole point of it, to see if you're right or not, but without getting yourself hurt. Maybe only your purse."

Nicky got up and followed her out of the room. "So is it a date?"

Piper laughed, pushing the door open for both of them. "I thought you already have a girlfriend."

They strode through the long, busy corridor. Lunch would be in an hour.

Nicky mildly shrugged, her voice sounding a little sad when she said, "She's still hung up over that guy, Christopher. Always has. Always will be."

Piper couldn't have cared less. "Chris? Who?"

"The rich guy in the room opposite to yours. Tall. Handsome. Broad shoulderes. How can you not notice him?" Nicky actually sounded frustrated and upset. "Have you seen him around? Has he been talking and manipulating Morello? I think he's up to something." She growled. "He only sees her as a plaything. I told her that he'd never get serious with her, but she wouldn't listen."

Nicky sounded desperate for once, and Piper decided to rage through her memories for bits of Christopher. She hadn't paid attention to many people, or much of the surroundings. Even the outside world was slowly lost to her now. She daily made two phone calls to Larry, and one to her family member, but it all had quickly become just that, a routine. It had been only two weeks, and yet she felt she was already a world away from them. They would never understand what it felt like to be here. They would never understand what it felt like to have all these unique, special powers in their hands, and still hated every single moment of it. That hurt. That pain. Only the people here would understand it.

"I've met Christopher twice. He seemed proper," Piper finally said. "He seemed kind. He offered me a box of orange juice when I tried to find something to eat at night. It was my second night here, and I wasn't expecting that there wouldn't be any local convenient stores on the island."

Nicky grumbled. "He better treats her nice, or else I—"

"I'd like to go to the game tonight. It should be fun." Piper smiled at Nicky. At best, she wanted to ease that anger in Nicky's heart. Whatever Christopher and Lorna were now, what mattered was to get Nicky out of this messy triangle.

"So it's a date." Nicky grinned.

* * *

After dinner, Piper followed Nicky out of the mansion. She was in a green sweater and a pair of khakis. They were being discreet, or Piper asked Nicky to be. She just didn't want Jessica or anyone to make a big deal out of it. As far as she knew, the general opinion of the North residents was to stay clear from the dangerous South. They would offer helps when they were asked. Pitying the poor was part of the job, but the two tribes were never really brothers and sisters. Even when they were stuck on an island together, shunned and disgusted from the outside world, they were still divided amongst themselves.

Piper and Nicky walked across the big yard that separated the North and the South. The Study building, where yoga and other light sessions were held, was on the east, while the Zone, a much larger building for powers trainings, located on the west. Tonight would be the first time Piper would get to see the South Mansion. She could hear noises already, shouts and music growing louder as she neared the building. It excited and scared her at the same time. At least it gave a sign of life on this isolated island, exactly what she needed at the moment.

The South was much bigger than Piper had originally thought. It was also a three-story building but with much wider front, accommodating many more rooms than the North. It was already nine o'clock, and most of the North residents would have retired to their rooms, or kept their quiet activities within the safe walls of the mansion. But it was a totally different scene with the South. Many residents were hanging out by the garden near its east wing. Some were playing basketball, the others holding a soccer match. It was busy and crowded that nobody paid attention as Nicky and Piper arrived.

"Stay close to me. Don't get lost. They don't like newts here, especially one from the North," Nicky said.

"_Newts_?" Piper suddenly felt unsure, glancing around. "Well, thanks for telling me now. Should I go back?"

Nicky laughed. "Where's the fun in that? Let's go get some drink."

Piper groaned. Maybe it was a really bad idea to follow Nicky here. She could get into troubles and Howard would frown upon her. He might take the opportunity to tell Larry of her misbehaviors and there would soon be trouble in their paradise. Before her mind would get more of the funny ideas, a red cup was shoved into her hand. Piper raised it up to get a better look. A beer was nice. It should calm her a bit.

"Thanks," Piper said. For a short while, they were hanging around the entrance of the mansion. People were passing, chatting and laughing. "Do they party every day? You said they don't have much money."

"You know how some rather spend money on booze than actual food? Molly was right. They aren't your kind of people."

"It's Polly. And you think these people are your kind?" Piper smirked.

Nicky grinned. "Kind of. I'm in the North with you, thanks to my mom's boyfriend's money. But this is where I truly belong. Anyway the game will start soon. Come on."

They pushed their way around the building, heading towards the backyard.

Under a tall, rusty streetlamp, two men were standing, facing each other. They were surrounded by at least a hundred bystanders. Seeing how many people just on the outside of the mansion, Piper mused about the real number of the South residents. It must be overly crowded here, unlike the spacious rooms that were reserved for the better half of the 'gifted' population.

"The shorter, a bit bulky guy, his name is John Bennett. He's a real nice guy. He gets challenged a lot, because he often loses the game," Nicky explained, while tiptoeing to get a better view of the fight ring.

Piper stood languidly, being almost a head taller than most girls there. "Why? He looks quite strong. But can't he refuse to participate if he doesn't want to?"

"That's exactly why they love to challenge him. Bennett is too nice to fight nasty, or too nice to say no. They can get help from him easier than the others. Plus, he has super strength. Pretty useful in petty thefts. Poor man can't really leave the island for long. The police are looking for him, and it's not even his own shits that got him into trouble." Nicky scratched her nose as she droned on and on. "He used to be a cop, you know. Long story."

_Long story. Don't we all have one..._ Piper stared ahead, watching as the fight began.

Bennett dodged his opponent's attacks quite easily for the first ten minutes, but things got intense when the first punch landed fully at his right side of his face, cutting his cheek with a four-inch gash. Blood streamed down his cheek, down to his neck and chest. The cut seemed quite drastic, and Piper squinted to see what the opponent was holding. It wasn't a weapon, but his own blade fingers. She squirmed at the sight.

"That looks nasty," Piper commented. "He could have seriously injured someone with those. It looks like he already has."

Nicky chuckled, softly punching Piper's shoulder. "Get used to it, Chapman. Aren't you quite a perilous one yourself?" She looked at her watch and groaned a bit. "Damn. That woman is late again. How predictable."

Piper decided not to respond to Nicky's comment on her powers. "Who are you waiting for?"

"An old friend of mine… A trouble." Nicky finished her drink, and shook the empty cup at Piper. "Want another one?"

" Sure." Piper followed Nicky into the mansion, heading towards the white, twin tables, where they were serving drinks. The walls, floor and sets of furniture were worn and torn, much older than the ones in the North. It smelled damp and unclean in the hall, too. The windows were murky, and the lights were dimmed. The place was being uncared for. Amazingly, it was another world altogether by just crossing the yard.

"If they found out that you're from the North, they'll make you pay for the drinks," Nicky joked as she handed the second cup to Piper.

Piper took it, smiling. "I'll pay. I feel bad already that I came uninvited."

"Shut up, Nicky. You're scaring your friend away. A newbie?" A low, husky voice came behind Piper, and Piper froze. The cup dropped to the floor, some of the cold drink splashed onto her pants and shoes.

That voice. That unique, soothing voice that Piper would never mistake it for someone else's. That voice that had haunted her for years. The voice she had thought that she would never get to hear it again.

Piper wanted to turn to face her nightmare. This was just a nightmare. She would be brave and just chase it away like she had imagined a thousand times before. But her body failed to move. Her heart beat so fast against her ribs. Her blood boiled. Her mind hazy.

"You're back, and you're late… Again!" Nicky greeted the tall woman in black, who had just walked past Piper, with a bear hug. "Look, Vause, this is Piper Chapman. New and North. Her first night in the South." Nicky grinned as she proudly presented her blonde acquaintance to her dark-haired friend.

Alex Vause. It wasn't a unique name, but it couldn't have been anyone else. Not with that voice. Not with those eyes, and the sickly pale skin.

The same, pale-green gaze Piper still saw in her dreams eventually gazed up, its sole attention stopping on Piper. And it felt right then that her world had stopped. It must be her mind tricking, or someone in this hall possessed such ability to stop time, for Alex had frozen upon seeing her as well. Alex became as still as a statue, and Piper couldn't help but take this opportunity to study her. It'd been four years since they last saw each other, and the wild, mysterious blue streaks had vanished from Alex's raven tresses. The smug smile Piper had seen earlier disappeared too, leaving the porcelain face as cold and ashen as a ghost scared of its own past.

Piper only broke out of her trance when someone yelled at the spilled beer. Then someone else responded by exposing her as a North resident. From the anger in their voices, Piper doubted that they just wanted her to pay for her beer, but something else entirely, which Nicky had failed to mention.

Nicky was quick to act. She slung one arm around Piper's waist. "Hey it's alright. She's with me."

"She isn't Lorna. You both are from the North! You have no business here!" One of the guys shouted from across the hall.

Alex turned to Piper again, lifting her black-rimmed glasses over her head. A habit when she was actually speaking the truth, which wasn't that often since she probably only did it once or twice a day. "Maybe this is a bad time to say hi."

Piper loved that voice, and she hated that she loved it. "No shit," she said, her voice cold.

Screams erupted, and Piper was sure that they weren't hers. Alex was sent flying backwards across the room, crashing through the glass windows and landing hard on the grass outside. Alex rolled unceremoniously into the middle of the fight ring, causing the game to stop and spectators scattered in all directions, yelling.

Bennett bent to get a better view of the crawling woman at his feet. "Vause?" He then smiled in relief, his face was all bloodied. "Welcome back, Vause! I thought that I'd never see you again!"

"Ye...yeah..." Alex tried to speak, but coughed out her lungs instead. The impact had her on all fours, terribly shaken. There were some nasty tears on her black leather jacket as far as she could see. Her left forehead and left forearm were bleeding. "F-" But Alex wasn't allowed a moment to swear. She was once again sent crashing against the lone streetlamp in the backyard, electric bolts flashed for a few, furious seconds before the whole South Mansion sank into sudden blackness. Alex, too, was sunken fast into oblivion.

Screams exploded as people stampeded through the backyard, and in and out of the mansion in panic.

This time Alex didn't even try to get up. Her head was spinning, and the pain on her right shoulder was screaming for murder. She glanced up a bit. _Fuck. My glasses fell off... _Her eyes narrowed in the dark, and she saw that Piper was climbing out through one of the broken windows. The blonde was fiercer than she had ever expected. Over the years, something had changed in Piper. Something that Alex didn't particularly like. Or, someone.

Lying flat on her stomach, Alex was convinced now that Piper truly meant to kill her tonight._ I'm fucked..._

"Jesus, Vause! Are you all right?!" Nicky ran towards Alex, knelt down beside her and grabbed her arms. "Hold on tight!"

Alex paused. She took a moment to think what Nicky had implied. "Oh... no...no, not that—"

"We gotta go! Incoming!"

At Nicky's last word, Alex felt fierce wind and turbulences around her. It was as if she was flying high into the sky and diving low into the ocean floor at a breakneck speed. She had no control over her flailing body, or its direction at all. She couldn't even open her eyes due to vicious velocity, and the pains weren't helping any. The swirling darkness continued for what seemed like forever, and for a moment there she thought that maybe she was already dead, and that's she was spiraling down to hell.

"Thank God! We made it!" Nicky announced, and the enthusiasm in her voice pulled Alex out of the slumber she was in.

Her eyelids heavy, Alex opened her eyes again to see that she was still in the backyard of the South Mansion. But the people were gone, and the whole area was still dark. Still pained, she slowly got up, but didn't get very far before she threw up her dinner. She was sure that it was a combination of both her friend's awesome teleporting moves, and her former lover's major kicks in her ass.

Nicky shook her head, arms across her chest. "You look like shit, Vause. Damn. It must be one hell of a love affair to get such violent reactions from an ex. What the fuck happened?"

"Things—" Alex spat out some blood, and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "...and stuff..." Shakily, she stood up, but bent forwards a little as pain shot through her ribs. She didn't want to imagine the pain she'd be feeling tomorrow. Joy. "Why are we... why are we still here?"

"I hid you somewhere in the woods for about two hours. You know I can't take you back to the North. They'd kick you out for sure, not to mention Chapman would be there, too. More drama. So I had to wait and made sure that she already left the South before I brought you back here." Nicky patted Alex on the shoulder. "Your old room was already taken, but I'll ask Morello if she can take you in tonight." She looked up at the sky and frowned. "By the way, where's your flying girlfriend?"

"She… she was just here to drop me off." Alex grumbled as she tiredly moved towards the broken windows. Her black boots stepped onto the pieces of broken glass. She needed to find her glasses. "What happened to my stuff?"

"Packed. In my room. You didn't have much..." Nicky followed to stand next to Alex. "Hey, Vause."

Alex gradually looked up, puzzled at the soft tone from Nicky.

"I'm glad you're back."

Alex carefully straightened up. She managed only a small smirk since her face was hurt with cuts and bruises. "Yeah, it's good to be back."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was already dawn, but Piper hadn't had any sleep. She sat on her bed, leaning against the window, gazing out.

After several hours, she had just come down from the high of powers rush. Sometimes it made her feel like she could fly into the sky. Other times like a ton of bricks on her conscience. Last night was something completely different. Never had she intentionally used her powers against other humans, but also with absolute control over it. Unlike the incident with Cal, this time Piper knew what she was doing, she went with it, and she got it right. Perhaps she had underestimated her hate for Alex all along. If hate was the thing to keep her powers in check, then she would gladly use that woman as her practice target.

_Alex_.

Piper frowned, dark circles under her eyes. No, she shouldn't think about her anymore. She had let the thought of that woman swirling around in her mind for much of last night. It had become too much. Her heart was exhausted by her own fire of hate. She had to stop.

Piper sighed, and lied down on the bed. She had just realized how tired she really was. Howard surely wouldn't let this incident go easily. Piper was still a newbie, yet she had already broken the rules; using powers outside of class, damaging Litchfield properties, and harming other resident. So much for trying to be discreet. Whenever she thought that she had her 'good girl' façade intact, the monster in her would awaken, come out of its hiding and ruin everything for her. She wondered what Howard would say to his son, and she already dreaded their next phone call. She wasn't sure how to explain why she suddenly attacked a fellow resident, while needing to keep her past relationship with Alex hidden.

_That lying bitch. That vile piece of—_

Piper's thought ceased at the sound of an object dropping onto the floor. She raised her shoulders to look down, but stopped at the sight of the pair of black-rimmed glasses. She could do nothing but stare at it, not quite sure what had possessed her then to pick them up and took them with her last night.

_Fuck._ Piper groaned and flopped back down on the bed.

* * *

Alex woke up at the sound of distant chatters and loud footsteps. She winced the first moment she opened her eyes. The pain on her body intensified as her mind became clearer. Her head was groggy, the cut on her forehead and arm stinging like a bitch. It hurt just to breathe.

Alex struggled, and eventually sat up. She then remembered where she was; she had spent the night in the lounge. Thanks to Lorna, she at least had a pillow and a blanket. Lorna even let her borrow Christopher's gray pajamas, Lorna's favorite, which she had kept for two years now. The tiny woman helped dress her wounds too. Alex sulked; none of her girlfriends were ever this kind to her, especially not a certain blonde she ran into last night.

_Piper is really here. It was only a matter of time..._ _But she should be safe here._

For some reason, Alex could never stay angry with Piper for too long, no matter what the woman had done. But perhaps last night had gone a little too far even by superheroes standard. Sure, their bodies were naturally stronger than normal humans, but it didn't mean that they could effortlessly endure severe beatings. Alex considered going to the infirmary last night, but her stupid pride stopped her, and she settled on sleeping on one of the couches in the lounge. Besides, she expected to get a call from Healy soon after having returned unannounced, not to mention how messy the whole thing turned out. She'd rather go to his office than let him see her on a hospital bed.

A few people came down to the lounge, and greeted Alex as they passed. She sighed happily. For a moment, it felt like no time had passed. Just like the old day. But she knew it wasn't true. Nothing was the same now.

* * *

Healy looked displeased. His thick brows sat stoically on his grumpy, square face. His blue eyes watched Alex like a hawk. She didn't have to wear glasses to see his absolute contempt for her; she felt it. It was his eternal crusade against the lesbians. His thick arms hugged across his big belly. She believed he had gained quite several pounds during the past eight years of her absence from Litchfield.

Alex paused when she realized how long she had been gone. She visited from time to time, but those days were far and few in between, and she never stayed for more than a few days at a time. Sadly, life outside of Litchfield hadn't taught her anything. She wasn't any better from when she left. She just got worse.

"You're squinting. Where are your glasses?"

"…I lost it."

"During the fight?" When she didn't respond, Healy continued, "It seems that you've lost your edge. The outside world must have done a number on you. 'Alex Vause' lost her glasses?" He darkly laughed.

It took Alex every ounce of willpower to remain silent. Her ego needed to be set aside for now. She needed a place to stay as she was completely broke at the moment. Sometimes she still couldn't believe what she had done to bring herself to this new low. She used to be young, successful and ruthless. But now her girlfriend just dropped her off because she was quickly becoming an extra baggage no one wanted.

Alex stared blankly at her feet. _Maybe I should go for another faction and—_

A knock came at the door, and Healy looked up. "Come in."

* * *

Piper took a deep breath in, and pushed the door open.

Healy was sitting behind his desk, smiling warmly at her, gesturing for her to come in. However Alex didn't acknowledge her presence. The woman just sat on her chair, staring down at her worn, black boots. Alex's hair was a little unkempt, and she looked paler than usual. Piper could see the bones sticking out on the back of her hands as the woman gripped the armrests. Alex was in a white sweater and a pair of black jeans, looking much thinner than when they were still together. Somehow, all the details Piper could see now painted guilt in her heart. She hadn't a better look of Alex last night. She hadn't spared a thought of what had gone on during their four years apart.

Piper sat down next to Alex. "Good morning, Mr. Healy."

"Good morning, Chapman. How are you today? Are you feeling better?"

At Healy's question, Alex moved a little in her chair. Piper turned and caught sight of the nasty cut on the woman's forehead. She then realized how odd the question must have sounded to Alex since she was the one who took the beating.

Piper tore her gaze from the pallid face. "I… I'm fine. Thank you." Worries involuntarily surged in her chest. Alex looked really ill. Piper wondered what other wounds she might have inflicted upon the woman. Were they serious? She had been so angry last night that she only realized now that she hadn't actually held back her powers at all. She grimaced, her hands gripping her knees.

"Mr. Bloom has heard about the incident, but he's in Germany now as we speak, so I am in charge of the situation here. I've seen the damages. The windows. The streetlamp. The South went out of power for almost three hours." Healy focused his attention on Piper, his gaze searching. "I see that you have some difficulties controlling your rage, Chapman."

"No… No, Mr. Healy, I was just—"

Healy leaned over the desk, hands clasped together. "Are you saying that Vause initiated the fight?"

Piper looked dazed for a moment.

"What really happened? You can tell me." Healy dangerously glanced at Alex. "Did she try to provoke you? Did she try to get close? Did she attempt to force—"

"No! No, it wasn't anything like that," Piper countered. She briefly looked at Alex, puzzled that the woman had remained silent at Healy's implications. "I... W—we had a terrible misunderstanding. She mistook me for someone else with the same powers that I have, and I… I just got scared, and I… Yes, I attacked her first, but out of fear. I didn't mean it."

At Piper's confession, Healy sat back, a heavy sigh on his lips. He looked bored as he stared at Alex. But it wasn't just boredom on Healy's part; Piper could see the hate in his eyes. She wondered what really went on between Alex and Litchfield. She was totally surprised to see Alex last night. For a whole year they were together, she never knew that Alex was one of the gifted. Alex had never displayed any supernatural powers in front of her. Alex had rarely ever talked about her past.

Piper glanced at Alex again, and somehow it fucking hurt to see how dull and sick the woman was. Alex had always seemed strong and confident. She had the invincible air about her. Piper had even expected Alex to fight back last night.

_Oh, God… Her powers are passive…_

"I'm writing you both a shot. Chapman, you're grounded. You aren't allowed to visit the South until further notice. Vause, janitorial duties, the Study, third floor, for a month. Starting tomorrow. Understood?"

Piper's eyes widened. "What? But it wasn't her fault. I... ok, I'll pay for the broken windows and everything that—"

"It has nothing to do with the cost, Chapman. It's for your own safety. Stay away from those people. You are not like them," Healy said with a stern expression. "And that's just my welcome gift for Vause. She doesn't seem to have a problem with it."

Alex smiled. "Thank you, sir. Will that be all?"

"Get out of my face." Healy waved at Alex.

Alex obliged. Although she straightened up as she walked out the door, Piper could see the oddities in her movements. She remembered Alex's strides well; nonchalant, fast or lazy. This was not one of them.

Quickly, Piper excused herself and followed Alex out. She wasn't surprised to see Alex had slowed down her pace once she was out of Healy's office, and now had one hand on the wall. She walked up the woman. "Are you hurt?"

Alex looked up, squinting at Piper for a second. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She retracted her hand from the wall and began to walk again, faster this time.

"Why didn't you say anything to him? He punished you for no reasons. This isn't like you at all." Piper followed. "And how come you never mentioned that you are 'gifted' too? You lied again. Everything about us is a lie."

"First of all, nobody's gifted here, Pipes. We're cursed. And I didn't lie. I didn't tell you because you never asked. Now could you please leave me alone? Or are you looking for excuses to beat me up again?" Alex looked annoyed, and perhaps even more annoyed that she couldn't see clearly and couldn't walk fast enough to lose Piper.

Piper's hand shot to her jacket pocket. She had been meaning to return the glasses to Alex. "I kicked your ass because you deserved it _and_ more. I landed in Litchfield because of you. You did this to me. You took me away from my family, my friends, my career and... my… uh, and—"

"You can say 'fiancé'. No hard feelings. We're over. Have been, for a long time." Alex smiled that knowing smile, and it made Piper want to punch that woman again.

_Bad thought. Need more self-control._ More troubles or Piper would land in the South. The Fantastic Four would make sure of that. They already threatened her this morning.

"Is that a long time to you?" However, the question slipped through Piper's lips before she could stop it. _When it feels just like yesterday that you hurt me..._

Both Alex and Piper were taken aback by the sudden question. But Alex was fast to put on a neutral expression again.

"A day without you is a long time for me... Unimaginable, in fact." Alex mumbled. Her voice was husky and soft just like how Piper remembered.

But the awkwardness of the conversation made Piper feel uneasy. This wasn't how she envisioned herself last night to be acting when she would encounter Alex again today. Then the thought of Larry suddenly entered her mind. She stiffened at once, her voice distant. "I gotta go. It's almost lunchtime now, and I got Instructor Red for a private training afterwards. I can't be late. Apparently they feel that it might help me channel my emotions better."

"You got private trainings, and I got public toilets to wash for a whole month. Remind me never to fuck with the privileged. I never learned." Alex walked away, making a right turn at the intersection.

Piper couldn't help it. She took a few strides to follow the woman. "That's because you refused to change, Alex. Don't you dare put this on me."

"Whatever, Pipes. Thanks for the story anyway. Glad that Healy bought it, or he'd probably kick me out already."

Piper paused. "What? You let me lie to Healy to save yourself?" She blinked a few times. "Was that why you kept quiet the whole time you were in there?"

Alex stopped, and turned to face her. "Well, I didn't know which version you were going to go with. I didn't want to raise suspicions. We both, no, I meant, _I_ could get into serious trouble, and I can't afford any of it at the moment. I've got other things to worry about. And, Pipes..., you lied to save yourself. Don't."

Alex walked away, and Piper didn't follow any further. She knew she shouldn't.

* * *

"Your powers represent you. You were born with it. You manifest it. But, ultimately, it is what you are."

Red. The powers training instructor. A 58 years old veteran. She was the great granddaughter of the first Litchfield powers training instructor, Erik Markovic. It ran in the family, and she was proud of it. While Red seemed feisty like her red, spiky hair, there's an air of weathered, but calm soul about her. A totally different air from Piper's mother, chilling and slippery.

Piper was with Red in a smaller gym, while the others were in the regular, bigger gyms. She now understood why they had several smaller gyms around. They were for people like her: the violent ones. And she felt depressed for the first time in two weeks. She was still an outcast even on this island, where she had begun to think she belonged.

"Before class is over. Can we talk about what happened last night?"

Sitting on a mat, Piper looked up, confused. She was in her gray sweatshirt, her head hooded. Her long legs were comfortable in a pair of black yoga pants.

"Tell me what triggered your rage."

"But I already told you."

"Not the Healy version. The real version." Red stared at her. The woman was standing in the corner of the room. She wasn't wearing gym clothes, but a black, pant suit. Piper had been moving a thousand cans for the past three hours, up and down, ever so slowly. She already felt like being interrogated for murder than dealing with her superpowers. "You know that my powers are mind reading."

Piper groaned. "Then why do you bother asking? Just read my thoughts."

"Believe me. I try not to use my powers too much. It can become _too much._ I spent my whole life, trying to block it out. Those were very painful years." Red cleared her throat before she continued. "With you, I sense anger and pain, but I didn't pry. I want to hear it from you. It'll do you good if you speak the truth."

Piper stared back at Red, almost as if challenging the woman to break into her head. "That's the only version I know."

"I cannot help you if you aren't willing to accept help… Ah, so much anger."

"I feel fine," Piper said, trying her best not to think of Alex. She wasn't sure if she did it to protect Alex in case the real version of the story got out, seeing how much Healy hated her, or just that Piper couldn't bear another thought of her. Last night and today had been too much. Just too much.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I forgot to call Larry!_ The thought only aggravated Piper even more. She needed to make a phone call as soon as the class was over. They usually talked in the morning and again before going to bed. She didn't want to imagine what he must be thinking now that their morning phone call was missed.

"You do realize that you almost killed two people in a span of one month and a half. One being your own brother, and the other a stranger. You failed to control your powers, and you might not be lucky next time. Someone might get killed—"

"But I was in control! I had perfect control last night!" Piper snapped, but immediately paused, realizing her slip.

Red smiled. "Only two weeks in, and your head is already so big. Given that your powers are highly efficient and powerful, you must be hearing praises all the time. But don't let it get to you. It could lead to a dangerous path."

Piper decided to keep quiet as Red walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's been a long day for you. You may go now," Red said, watching her with attentive eyes.

Piper felt the rage disappearing, but she was still shaken, bewildered by it. Not wanting to say more, she simply nodded, collecting the mat and putting it back on top of the stack of mats in the back of the room. She headed towards the door, but stopped when Red spoke again.

"You don't need to tell me what triggers your anger—your fears. But, remember, _that_ is the key to your powers, good and bad. Don't let anyone use it against you."

* * *

What Red had said continued to echo in Piper's mind, but she had more important thing to do at the moment. Piper ran back to the North Mansion, phone booths area. She pulled out her phone credit card, which allowed three phone calls a day, and put it over the scanner. When it beeped, she picked up the phone and called Larry.

"Tell me you aren't hurt." Those were his first words. "Piper, I was worried sick! Are you ok? Was it bad? Why didn't you call earlier? I was—"

"What did your father say?" Piper pressed the phone closer to her ear. She could hear his breathing.

"He told me that you got into a fight with some resident. It sounded pretty bad. Are you ok, Piper? Are you hurt?"

"No, I…I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm not hurt." Piper felt a pang of guilt hit her. Someone else got hurt because of her, and she was scared to let Larry know. He would be scared too, if he knew. Anyone would be. Maybe she needed to listen to Red after all; whatever triggered her rage had to be dealt with. Properly, of course.

"Good. Good." Larry breathed easier.

"I'm sorry. I meant to call, but I was called to the office for an explanation about last night. It was really nothing, Larry. It was just… a big misunderstanding. It's all settled now."

"That's great to hear." Piper could imagine his smile as he said it. "Look, I've got a friend coming over tonight. His name is Pete. We've just met. He's an Australian, by the way. He seems like a guy with lots of connections _and_ lots of parties. I think he can hook me up with some writing gigs. He's cool."

"Lots of parties, huh?" Piper silently made a face. She didn't really want to imagine what her fiancé would be doing, partying out there, while she became violent and kicked people's asses to kill time.

"He's bringing like twenty people to our place tonight. I've got everything arranged. I even got your favorite dishes and wine. I'm sure they're going to like it."

"What's my favorite dish, Larry?"

"Umm, baked camembert? With red Bordeaux?"

"Hmm. That sounds good. You can marry me now."

"Marry me, Piper. Tomorrow."

Piper giggled, clinging to the phone with both hands. "Yeah, why not."

"I mean it. Marry me." Larry sighed. "I miss you so much. And last night… I got so fucking scared. I thought something terrible happened to you, and I couldn't even reach you. Dad wouldn't say much. No, it's not gonna work, Piper. I need you out of there. I want you here with me. Leave the island. I'll tell dad. Leave the island and marry me tomorrow."

"Marry you? Tomorrow?" Piper couldn't even believe her own ears. Against the popular belief of how a girl would look when in her position, Piper's smile faded somehow.

"This is not a joke. Can you take me seriously for once? Piper, I can't lose you."

"But you want to get married tomorrow? I've been here for only two weeks, Larry. We talked about this." Piper gulped, not wanting to stress the fact that she had just harmed other resident with her powers. Litchfield would never allow her to leave, at least not now.

Larry went on about his plan, and the whole conversation sent Piper's mind reeling. She pinched the bridge of her nose. _Jeez, I need a beer. Maybe Nicky has some._ "I'm not sure next week is a good time to marry, Larry. It's still too soon. I got some stuff to—" Piper paused when she spotted Nicky down the hallway.

The lion-haired woman was staring at her, arms across her chest. It seemed as though Nicky had been standing there for a while now. From the look on Nicky's face, she didn't seem too pleased, and Piper wasn't sure what to think.

Piper listened to Larry for a few more moments before they sent their goodnight kisses, and hang up. Nicky was still there, and Piper made a careful move towards the shorter woman. She was right not to speak a word, because Nicky sounded as upset as she looked.

"You were discussing your wedding party?" Nicky's frown grew deeper. Her expression was dead serious.

"Well… yeah, I—I'm engaged, you know that… Right?" Piper touched her hair, glancing around nervously. "I haven't seen you all day. Where have you been? You weren't even at the training today."

Nicky's lips tightened. "Because I was at the infirmary."

Piper reached out and touched Nicky's arm, genuinely concerned. "Are you ill? What's wrong?"

"You hurt my friend, that's what's wrong, Chapman. Vause collapsed during lunch, and she was sent to the infirmary. A fractured, right clavicle. Two broken ribs on the left, four on the right. And you were giggling, planning your wedding party after all of that shit? She got janitorial duties for being kicked in the ass, and you got nothing but special trainings? How do you do it?"

Piper couldn't move. Alex seemed all right this morning, didn't she? The woman had it all planned out, letting Piper lie to Healy. It was all scripted. Alex had nothing but a master plan.

"She knew that she's gonna be all right. It's who she is, Nicky. It's how she works. I know her." Piper insisted, but her voice was a little shaky. She had thought of Alex and her powers. Since Alex was nowhere to be seen in the large group of 'dangerous' powers training today, Piper had assumed that Alex was with the other group, the less threatening ones. "I...I admit that I was too rough, and I wouldn't have gone that far if I knew that she didn't have the kind of powers to defend herself. But she'd fight back if she knew that she was in real danger. She's always the one with plans."

Nicky was now red in the face. "Well, then she had a really stupid plan last night. And I know her better you do. You were just her fuck buddy anyway. The only reason she didn't fight back was because she couldn't have defended herself without hurting you. Fuck you, Chapman." Then Nicky pushed past Piper, and disappeared down the hall.

Piper froze.

_Alex…_

* * *

Half past midnight. Piper carefully moved through the yard, avoiding the lit, graveled path. She had waited for Polly to fall asleep before sneaking out.

Piper reached the small building next to the Gym, and entered. The infirmary had three floors. From what she had gathered from Polly, the patients would be on the second floor, one male ward, and one female ward.

Piper stopped at the entrance of the female ward, reading the chart hanging by the door. Visiting hours: 7 A.M. - 8 P.M. She shrugged and pushed the door open. Slowly and quietly. At this hour, the ward was kept dimly lit just like the corridors, and it worked just fine for Piper. There were about 30 beds, but only a few were occupied.

Piper looked around and saw a head of raven hair. She moved towards the bed next to the large window. Moonlight sneaked through the gap between the curtains, softly pooling over Alex's alabaster skin. Piper's breath caught in her throat. Suddenly all those nights they used to lie together in bed, holding each other, cherishing each other's warmth, came back and hit her like a speeding truck. It was nasty. It was unwelcome.

Now that Alex was in a blue hospital gown, Piper could see the fresh bandage on her left arm. Her heart was heavy with the thought of more bruises and cuts that were hidden beneath the gown. Alex looked tired and pale still, but a little more rested than this morning. Her hair was disheveled. Her breathing a little ragged.

Piper sat down at the edge of the bed. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and touched Alex's forehead, careful not to disturb the cut there.

"You don't let anything stop you, do you?" The voice came from a distance, and Piper turned to see an old, black lady sitting by the desk in the corner.

"You must be Ms. Claudette. Nice to meet you." Piper spoke with a neutral face, moving her hand down and gently stroke Alex's good arm. "She has fever."

"Of course, she does. She was supposed to come in since last night, but had stubbornly refused so. That girl never learned. She always made things more difficult than it had to be." Claudette studied Piper's hand on Alex. "She'll live. Nothing that won't heal. But my advice is to think twice before attacking someone, especially if you knew that you'd be breaking more rules just to pay them a visit at an ungodly hour."

"Are you going to report me?"

"So you can have more privileges granted? This place sometimes is a fart, but we've learned to live in it."

Piper inwardly sighed. Twitter had nothing on Litchfield. News here spread like wildfire.

Piper turned when she felt Alex move. The woman seemed to try to shift her body, but let out a pained whimper instead before falling back to her original position. Her eyes closed, her brows knitted, and she breathed harder. Piper leaned in closer, worries eating at her heart. She squeezed Alex's hand, trying to soothe the woman. "Al—"

"Pipes..."

For a moment, Piper had to squint in the dark to see if Alex was awake.

"...Pipes..." Alex breathed her name again, eyes still closed. And that was all it took. Piper's heart fluttered, butterflies in her stomach. It amazed her that no matter how much time had passed between them, the love and pain they have caused each other always felt like yesterday, fresh and raw.

Strangely, a contented, genuine smile graced Piper's beautiful face at a simple whisper of her name. Only Alex's voice could manage it for her. She reached up and softly caressed Alex's cheek. A hundred thoughts roamed through her mind, seeking which would be Alex's dream of her. Not a violent episode, she hoped.

"She's so warm. I hope she'll be feeling better tomorrow." Piper feigned a remark, knowing that Claudette was watching. Piper was warm too. She could feel the heat rise up to her cheeks and neck. For God's sake, she was blushing like a silly schoolgirl. She let go off Alex and stood up. The happy grin on her face, she turned to Claudette. "Thank you for letting me in, or—not kicking me out. I'll come back tomorrow... at a more appropriate hour."

Claudette just waved her away before turning her attention back to her laptop.

Piper leaned down to kiss Alex's forehead before taking the pair of black-rimmed glasses out of her black jacket's pocket. She put them on Alex's bed desk, and left.

"Young people," Claudette muttered, shaking her head. Then she looked up when she heard some rustling sounds. She sighed in annoyance when she saw that Alex had stubbornly rolled to her side, groaning in pain as she reached for her glasses.

Alex had an equally idiotic grin as Piper's on her face when she successfully put the glasses on.

"Please, tell me that you aren't going to sleep with your glasses on."

Alex fell back into bed again, a hand over her chest as she coughed. She lifted the curtain a little and looked out the window to see Piper walking across the yard. She lifted her hand from her chest and touched her forehead with the back of her hand. She didn't really want to go back to sleep at all.

* * *

**Thanks all. **xoxo


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"_You're sure about this?" Alex put her hands in her jacket pockets._

"_You can't be serious. It's my birthday. We need some booze." Nicky grinned mischievously._

_It was their normal night out. Nicky, being a teleporter, often took Alex to mainland, where they liked to hang out. They were roommates in the South as their parents couldn't afford to pay for the North._

_Alex was in a black jacket with a white t-shirt underneath, and a pair of tight, black jeans. She was in her usual attires, worn and old. Most of the time, she felt comfortable in them, but there were days when she felt down, and let the bullying of the past caught up with her. Her life hadn't been great from the start. Her father left her mother when she was just a baby, and they basically lived in poverty. Diane, Alex's mother, worked four jobs to keep things going for them. But it only got worse when Alex was 'diagnosed' as being one of the 'gifted' at the age of 13. She was sent to Litchfield for 'better' trainings. Alex didn't feel that way. She thought it was just the government trying to lock away the unwanted—the dangerous ones from society. But she didn't object the idea. Sometimes she liked being away from the harsh reality. At least, she had three meals a day without having to see the stressful look on Diane's face. It pained her every time._

_Alex pulled her collar closer. The wind was cold. She just didn't feel right tonight. "But we just did it last week. What if they remember us?"_

"_What's wrong with you? It's my fucking birthday. Don't ruin it." Nicky lightly elbowed her friend's arm, looking at the liquor store across the street._

_Alex looked away for a second. "I'm 19 now. I can't get caught anymore. You do know that they are allowed to shoot first, ask later under any suspicious circumstances, concerning 'gifted' people over 18."_

"_You're scared?" Nicky turned to Alex, blinking. "Holy shit, Vause. You've never been scared before. What the hell is going on?"_

_Alex sighed, running her hand through her hair again for the tenth time tonight. "Mom is sick."_

"_Diane." Nicky gasped. "Is it serious?"_

"_Kind of. She needs a back surgery. She doesn't have insurance, and she can't work like she used to. I can't get caught, Nicky. I have to work when she can't." Alex lightly groaned, looking away. "I think I'm gonna drop out. I… I'm leaving Litchfield. I need something real, not a fucking diploma for the 'gifted' that gets me nowhere. I need a job."_

_Nicky stared at her friend in disbelief. "Fuck. You can't fucking leave me. No. Fuck. No. Howard wouldn't let you leave."_

"_I have to. I can control my powers just fine now. I'll be fine."_

"_God, Vause, don't leave. We're family! You got me, and I got you. I'll ask mom if she can help."_

"_Don't be silly. It's a lot of money." Alex shook her head. "I'll ask my aunt. She's doing pretty well, I think. I'll just have to work and pay her back, but it's gonna take years though."_

_Nicky leaned back against the lamppost and let out a frustrated sigh, pulling her own fluffy hair with both hands to the back of her head. She looked saddened. "I'm going to miss you. A lot."_

_Alex smiled. Her green eyes sparkled in the dark. "Me too."_

_Nicky chuckled, and then gestured towards the liquor store. "Hey, one last time. Consider it a farewell gift to me."_

"_Serious?" Alex groaned._

"_Serious."_

"_But you ran us to fucking Nevada last time we stole three bottles. I don't like that, Nicky. I got really sick when you do that." Alex made a disgusted face._

"_Motion sickness is my powerful weapon," Nicky joked. "But, come on, I feel good tonight. I am so much in control! I promise I won't run off too far. Have some faith in me, pal."_

_Alex gazed out at the liquor store, hands in her pockets. "I don't know. Where will we land—" She cried out in surprise and pain at the same time as a set of mass hit her. Shoved to the ground, Alex was sprawled on her stomach, coughing for air. She couldn't even tell what had just hit her. What was it? A human, or a truck?_

_Lying on her back, Alex opened her eyes to see a bulky, young police officer looming above her, his eyes glowing dangerously._

"_Freeze!" Bennett held a gun at Alex's face. "I've seen you two several times before, but you're not going anywhere this time!"_

_Alex stared at the barrel only an inch away from her face. To her dismay, Nicky was nowhere to be seen._

Fuck.

* * *

_Fuck_.

Alex groaned as her mind slowly came to. She opened her eyes to see three vibrant faces above hers, beaming at her.

"Vause! Good morning!" Bennett grinned.

"Hey." Nicky had the usual lopsided smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?" Lorna greeted Alex with a sweet smile.

_Where am I? What day is it? What time is it?_ Alex took a moment to answer all the questions before glancing at her glasses on the bedside table. Piper was really here last night. The pains were still very apparent. She wasn't dreaming or imagining any of it. She grabbed the glasses and put them on.

"Morning," Alex said eventually, her voice coarse.

"Oh, you got your glasses back," Nicky remarked.

"Uh… Piper stopped by last night. I guess she found it," Alex mumbled, glancing away at the look on Nicky's face.

Nicky was smiling so widely that her cheeks hurt. "She came here last night? Maybe because I gave her an earful. But, pimp, really… what's with you two?"

Bennett turned to Nicky. "Piper? Piper Chapman, the new blonde girl? I think that I've seen her around."

"That's right, John. The one and only future Mrs. Bloom," Lorna said, putting the fresh flowers she had brought into the vase on Alex's bedside table.

"Yup, _the_ bitch. I have no fucking clue what our friend here has got herself into," Nicky said, staring down at Alex.

"Ouch." Bennett whistled.

Alex tried to turn a deaf ear. She had learned from Lorna since the night she had arrived that Piper was engaged to Larry Bloom. Piper was now the talk of the town in Litchfield.

Alex and Piper broke up four years ago, and they both had moved on. Alex, however, never committed before or after Piper, so to see Piper having a serious relationship did rattle her. She realized that she was everything opposite to 'Larry Bloom'. He was rich, safe and had a respectable last name to go by. She was a poor woman with shady records. She was everything Piper didn't want. Even though she had never met Larry, but a simple mention of him could easily upset her.

Alex slowly sat up and leaned back against her pillows. Her head was messy, her skin colorless, and her eyes reddened. The pain started to twist inside her, and the headache was coming back fast. She'd need some painkillers soon. Somehow it upset her that she couldn't be up to Healy's challenge. She had certainly missed the janitorial duties he had assigned her on the first day.

_He'll never let that go_. Alex griped.

Healy was her counselor when she first moved to Litchfield. He had become her first father figure. He had been generous, and she had been the child he never had. They had fitted somehow. They had got along well until Alex had got her first girlfriend. He hadn't taken it well and shunned her out. Alex hadn't taken it well either. She hadn't fancied being rejected twice in her young life.

"Ouch—OUCH! S—slowly!" A yelp came through the doors, and everyone turned to look at the entrance.

Alex frowned when she saw Jessica Wedge coming through the doors, the blonde's arms hanging around her friends' shoulders.

"Easy! That hurts! Easy!" Jessica squealed as she was laid down on the bed opposite to Alex's. She was accompanied by her three friends.

One of the blondes looked around and saw Alex, and immediately made a face. "We're not alone, girls. The bum is here."

Alex couldn't believe it. These girls had hold her hostage since she was 13, ridiculing her every chance they get. Now that she's 29, they still wouldn't let it go.

Alex had a smirk on her face when Jessica looked up and caught the green gaze. "Slipped on your own ice?"

"Fuck you, Vause," the second blonde spat.

"Better than being broke and crawling back to Litchfield like a beggar. But this is nothing new, is it? Because you've always been one," another blonde chimed in. And the gang just laughed.

Nicky growled, already making a move towards the blondes, but both Lorna and Bennett pulled her back.

"Not a good idea, Nicky," Bennett warned.

"Let them talk," Lorna said. And only then Nicky seemed to cool down.

Smirking, Jessica quickly composed herself. She leaned back against the head bed as a nurse entered the infirmary.

The chubby nurse, Daya Diaz, walked up to Alex and handed her a cup containing two yellow pills. "Those are for the pain. Try not to move too much. Ms. Claudette already spoke with Mr. Healy about your conditions, so you don't have to go until your health is improved. You'll feel better in a month or two."

"Hi... g-good morning, Daya," Bennett said as he moved closer to the nurse.

"Morning, John." Daya's expression remained nonchalant as she moved to Jessica's bed and began to tend to her swollen ankle. "What happened?"

"I... fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle. It hurts like hell." Jessica looked away briefly, but her gaze soon fell back on Alex again.

Alex poured herself a cup of water, in which Lorna approached to help. "It's ok. I can do it." She quickly took the pills. She pushed the blanket away and slowly got up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Nicky frowned.

Alex began to walk away. "I'm gonna get changed. I already feel a lot better today. Janitorial duties are really nothing. Easy. Don't worry," Alex lied. It already hurt just to move this much. The nasty bruises on her back and legs only made things more difficult. Times like this just made her wish for healing abilities instead. But Alex just couldn't stand the Fantastic Four; she would rather hurt herself than being in the same room with them.

"Whoa, I don't think that's a good idea, Vause," Nicky said, reaching for Alex. But she was just a second too late when Alex took a step forward and slipped on a thin plane of ice that had magically appeared there a moment prior.

The four blondes burst out laughing as Alex landed on her butt. The impact sent nasty waves of pain through her body, and for a moment it became really hard to breathe. But Alex just kept her face cool and not saying anything, not even a whimper, because she couldn't even find her voice then.

"Vause!" Bennett scurried to kneel next to Alex. "Are you all right!?"

Before Alex could even try to understand the situation she was in, as her mind was being largely clouded by pain, the blondes suddenly screamed in fright.

Nicky had teleported herself next to Jessica, catching the woman off-guard, grabbing her and throwing her off the bed. Jessica landed face first at the floor, much to her friends' horror.

The first blonde reacted fast, growing her arms long across the room, grabbing Nicky by the arms and throwing her at the wall. Nicky tried to lose the grip, but the constant thrust against the wall and the pain that followed kept her from teleporting away. Nicky was losing her concentration.

"Ladies! Stop!" Bennett shouted.

"Keep your gross hands off her!" Lorna barked. Her usually sweet smile turned into a fierce growl. Fire bolts shot from her hands and burned the blonde's elastic arms, causing her to release Nicky at once.

Nicky fell to the floor, coughing for air.

"Stop it! Everyone!" Daya yelled, but her voice was drowned out by a sonic boom from another blonde minion.

Alex was still sitting on the floor, numbed. Her hands on her knees, she watched the scene unfold as Bennett and Daya joined in, attempting to stop the four blondes, while Lorna kept shooting fire bolts everywhere to keep the attacks at bay.

Alex noted the burning curtains, a few frozen beds and chairs, and broken glasses on the floor. She sighed.

_Great_.

* * *

It was the first time in more than two weeks that Piper had felt uneasy during yoga class. Even the meditation session hadn't helped. The powers trainings had only made it worse. Piper had barely able to move a brick without hitting it at something. She had gone to bed last night wide-eyed with such excitement she hadn't felt for years. She had woken this morning, exhausted and scared.

Nicky had been absent all day today. The woman was probably still very angry with her, but Piper wasn't worried about that. She could try to reason with Nicky later. However, it had taken Piper all day to accept the fact that the source of her uneasiness did come from last night. It had always been a problem. 'Alex' had always been her problem. Ever since they parted, she never welcomed any thoughts or memories of that woman. But on her loneliest days or on the darkest nights, 'Alex' had always emerged. It had been four fucking years, but every time she'd feel powerless whenever she recalled the times they shared.

Piper believed that she visited Alex last night out of guilt, and guilt alone. Whatever that had happened between them was just an episode of angry tears and mistrust. She had grown up, and out of it. She had become someone new, and she was just being upset with Alex because the woman had reminded her of her old, stupid self. Nothing more. Not that Piper wanted an apology from Alex as it wouldn't have made any difference now.

_I wonder if she's feeling better today—_

"Piper... Piper, are you listening?"

Piper was snapped out of her thoughts. "Yeah, Cal. What?"

"Larry's been at my trailer park for the past couple of days. He's been asking me what foods and drinks to serve at the wedding, or which new tux he should wear. Sister, this is driving me crazy. How soon can you get out of Litchfield?"

"God." Piper huffed. "I told him that this isn't the best time. I just attacked another resident with my powers! There's no way they're letting me out soon. All this talk about the wedding is pointless, really."

"What happened?" Cal sounded more serious. He sounded genuinely concerned about his sister, and it touched her.

"It… it wasn't an accident like how it happened with… with you. I wanted to hurt her, and I did. It was fucking scary, Cal. I fucking hurt people, and I don't know how to stop."

A moment passed. "Why? What did she do to you?"

For a moment, Piper couldn't find her words. Her thoughts weren't exactly coherent either. The good times were so good. The bad times were hellish. There were many moments when Piper was convinced that anything that had happened between Alex and her was just a lie. But once in a while, a tiny, little fraction of hope would rise and tell her that it was real.

Piper held the phone close to her face. "She made me love her."

Piper could hear her brother sigh. "Do you love her?"

"I, no..."

Piper didn't say more, and Cal didn't ask any further. Piper had planned to visit Alex after dinner, but it seemed like a bad idea now.

* * *

"Did you hear about Nichols?" Polly muttered over her soup.

Piper looked up from her food. They were having dinner together in the cafeteria.

Polly cautiously pointed her spoon at the Fantastic Four's direction. The blondes were occupying two rows behind. Jessica, however, was missing. The three blondes looked beat, their face pale and their hair scruffy and dirty.

Piper stifled her laugh, and then whispered to Polly, "They looked like they'd just gone to World War I and back. Did something happen? And, no, I haven't seen Nicky all day."

"Nichols and her friends got into a huge fight with the Fantastic Four at the infirmary this morning. They went totally crazy! The female ward was destroyed! Oh, you should see it." Polly laughed.

_Alex_... Piper's hands fell on the table ever so subtly.

"Supercunt always got herself into some sort of trouble. Not surprised, considering the sort of friends she hangs out with. I was glad you got to kick her butt."

"Uh… well, it was a misunderstanding. But why do you call her 'Supercunt'? You seem to really dislike her."

"She's just crazy and rude. She's been a trouble maker ever since she got here. Years ago, her mother needed some sort of surgery, but they couldn't afford it. Eventually, Mr. Bloom paid for them, because he really cared for her family. But Vause just didn't seem to care. She left Litchfield two years later without an explanation. Mr. Bloom was disappointed, obviously, since he had high hopes in her."

"Why would he care? Were they that close?" Piper took in all the information. For an ex of Alex, she knew very little about her life. All Alex had shown her was the world of luxury and exciting adventures, but nothing about the hardship from the past. To an extent, Alex succeeded; she impressed Piper. However, there had been a few moments, as rare as they had, that Piper had caught glimpses of sadness and insecurities in those green eyes. It was these few moments that still convinced Piper that what they had was real, and not all glamorous and superficial to the eyes of outsiders.

Polly leaned over the table, whispering, "I'm not sure if I should tell you this. He's going to be your father-in-law soon."

"Not so soon. I don't even know when they'll let me go. I did really bad in powers trainings today. Red was unimpressed," Piper grumbled. Of course, that was to be expected since Piper accidentally hit the instructor with a brick. Luckily, it wasn't anything serious.

"Aww, don't push yourself too hard. You have all the time in the world."

"Nope. I have to get out ASAP. Larry is waiting for me. What about Mr. Bloom? You were saying?"

Polly shrugged, and lowered her voice even more. "They say that he was having an affair with Vause's mother. And that it was probably the reason Vause left so suddenly. Maybe she found out then."

"Oh... oh, wow..." Piper immediately thought of Larry's mother. She wasn't sure how to make her face next time she sees the Blooms.

"Hey, Chapman."

The voice came from behind, and Piper beamed. She turned around. "Nicky!" But her smile faded when she saw bruises and cuts on Nicky's face and arms. The woman's thick hair was wet, and she was already in her fresh clothes, suggesting that she already had a shower.

With a tray of food, Nicky sat down next to Piper. "Almost missed dinner! Oh, boy, what a day!"

Polly groaned. Their table had promptly attracted attention from the nearby tables, deadly glares from the three blondes.

Piper eagerly turned to Nicky. She was relieved that nothing serious seemed to have happened at the infirmary. "Where have you been? What happened?"

"We kicked their asses alright. Hey, it felt good to flex your muscles once in a while." Nicky winked. "So Healy punished Morello and me. We're doing Vause's janitorial duties for the next two months until she gets better. As for those dumb blondes right there? They have to pay for renovation of the ward since they started the fight."

"They did?" Polly raised a brow in disbelief.

"Can you not be a cunt for a day? Or that table is available." Nicky gestured at Jessica minions' table.

"What did they do?" Piper asked before Polly could retort. She wanted to ask about Alex, but didn't want to make it obvious in front of her roommate, not to mention that she wasn't sure if Nicky was in a better mood to talk about Alex than yesterday.

"Wedge, the fucking ice witch, sprained her ankle and was brought in this morning. But she couldn't help being a bitch. She cast the ice on the floor, and Vause slipped and hurt herself again. So I smacked the bitch real good, but then that fucking blonde right there with nasty, long arms just—"

Piper shot up from the chair. She grabbed the tray and put it on top of the garbage bin before sprinting out of the cafeteria. She didn't stop when Polly called out. She ran out the building and headed towards the infirmary. She didn't like it at all. She didn't like the feeling of not being in control. And to make matters worse, Alex was vulnerable in Litchfield, unable to protect herself from Healy and the likes of Jessica Wedge. There was nothing Piper could do about it, and she hated it. It was rage. A rage so familiar.

* * *

Alex shifted a little on her new bed, a book in her hands. The few patients from female ward had moved to a smaller room provided on the third floor. To her dismay, Jessica was assigned to the bed next to her.

Jessica was supposed to go back to her dorm after having her ankle treated. But the fight happened, and she had hit her head pretty hard, her nose broken and her face severely swollen. Ms. Claudette insisted that Jessica stayed for a night.

Sitting on her bed, Jessica put her tablet down on her lap. "This is boring—ahh—ouch—" She grunted as pain shot up the left side of her skull, her left cheek hurt from speaking.

Alex giggled, and Jessica turned to glare at her, tears in her eyes.

"My mother will speak to Mr. Bloom as soon as he—oh… oww..." Jessica stopped to take a breath in. "... as soon as he's back. You'll be expelled for good, Alex. You're not welcome here."

Alex smirked at the first name usage. She was just wondering when Jessica would drop the act. "I get it. You don't like me. But Litchfield isn't yours, Jess. And you can avoid me by not intentionally falling down the stairs."

Jessica's jaw would have dropped lower only if her swollen face would allow. "You think I was that desperate to see you? Oh, Alex, you are as delusional as ever. Who would love someone like you?" Jessica scoffed. "I'm seeing Richard, a man who can afford a fancy dinner without having to sell his mother's car. You've been gone for eight years, Alex. Nobody's waiting for you anymore." Then Jessica smiled. "Did I hear right about you and Chapman? It seems that she has wised up too. Everyone has moved on, and you're the only one stuck in the past."

_Oh, God…_ Alex put her book down and sighed. If she had any money left, she'd have escaped with Fiona, her flying girlfriend. Litchfield would be her last option since it was full of exes and flings of the past. She knew it'd get messy, the extra hassles she didn't need. To make things even more complicated, Piper had just happened to move here too, the last person she wanted to see when she was at the all-time low in life.

Alex looked up at Jessica, adjusting her glasses. "Look, it was a one-night stand, all right? Like you said, it was eight years ago, _and_ we were both drunk. I know that my low life disgusts you, but for God's sake, can you just drop it? I've never told anyone about this. Not even Nicky. After all these years, I can't believe that you're still holding it against me."

"You were drunk. I wasn't." The words came in a whisper.

Alex stopped. She could barely see Jessica's eyes under the bandages around the woman's head. The woman's face was so swollen that Alex couldn't make out her facial expression either. But silence had quickly hung over them, and Alex wasn't quite sure what to say next. She had never imagined herself as the little girl being picked on by a boy who was having a crush on her. Jessica being the boy was a disturbing thought, indeed.

Jessica put her hand up to her left cheek, barely touching.

"It hurts?"

Jessica just nodded. From the silence, Alex guessed that the pain must be rather unbearable for it to silence Jessica.

Alex put her book on the bed and got up. She carefully sat down on the edge of Jessica's bed. She raised a hand and softly touched Jessica's good cheek. She inwardly winced as she now was close enough to see how bad Jessica's face was. Under the bandages, the skin around her eyes and down her left cheek was all purple and black. It looked very painful.

Jessica bit her bottom lip and leaned forward. Alex gently pulled her closer, letting her rest her good cheek against her shoulder.

"Fuck you, Alex. It… fucking hurts," Jessica mumbled.

Alex chortled. "It's almost seven now. Daya will bring your meds soon." She could feel Jessica's wet tears on her shoulder, but made no move to push her away.

"Alex!" A voice echoed outside, followed by a few, rash knocks on the window.

Both Alex and Jessica turned to the window. They were on the third floor, but a red-haired woman was floating just outside the window. She forcefully pushed the window open, and leaped into the building. She was leggy, perhaps as tall as Alex, with wild, curly red tresses.

"Fiona? What are you doing here?" Alex found her voice dry. She didn't expect to see her girlfriend again so soon. They parted only two days ago. Fiona didn't promise to come back, and Alex didn't promise to wait. Fiona had been scared and wanted to escape as far as she could. Alex hadn't able to follow, and she had let her go.

"I… I don't want to leave without you. I can't! I'm back for you, baby. We'll go together. I don't care what I have to do." Fiona's voice was shaken. She rushed to Alex and pulled her away from Jessica's embrace.

Alex grunted at the pressure on her body, quivered in pain.

"Alex…" Fiona eventually pulled back, and was alarmed to see how pale her girlfriend looked. "Are you hurt? Why are you in a hospital gown…? Oh, God… Who fucking hurt you!? Alex—"

"Al!" Piper's voice came through as the door was pushed open. The slender blonde was out of breath as she skidded by the entrance. Her blue eyes were wide, and as vibrant with life as Alex had always remembered.

Alex took a deep breath in, trying to steady herself on her feet. She gradually straightened up, and lazily pushed her glasses up to rest atop her head. She was staring down at nothing in particular, very much aware of the three gazes fixing upon her.

Alex silently sighed.

_Great._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Before the night could get even more disastrous than the day had been, Ms. Claudette stood up from her chair, an active laptop on the desk. She was warmed in a blue jacket and a pair of black gloves. She had been watching in the corner of the room. Amazingly, no one had noticed her.

_Young people_. Ms. Claudette shook her head.

"You three girls need to sort things out with your tall girlfriend outside, and by that, I mean, _out of here_. We can't afford to ruin more rooms, understood?" Ms. Claudette warned.

Alex sighed in relief at the divine intervention. She glanced at Piper, but the blonde quickly looked away. She had only realized then that Fiona still had her arms around her. It couldn't have been jealousy, could it? She reminded herself that Piper was engaged, and that their past had meant nothing.

Quietly, Piper left. And Alex made no move to stop her, even though she'd been waiting for Piper to visit all day. She stood, watching the empty doorway. It felt so familiar-that emptiness in her heart. It wasn't supposed to be this way. They weren't supposed to fall in love. Alex was smart, but whenever the matter concerned Piper, she was rendered a clueless ingénue. Even years later, she still didn't know how to fix it, and it fucking frustrated her to no end.

* * *

Alex had put on a black coat over her hospital gown. Hands in the pockets, she leaned back against the brick wall behind the infirmary. She and Fiona had taken their little reunion outside as Ms. Claudette had commanded. The wind was cold, combined with the hectic day it had been, Alex had already lost the much-needed energy from last night's rest.

"I miss you. I thought I could do it without you, but no." Fiona shook her head, her eyes reddened. "Who's that girl?"

"Jessica Wedge, my old classmate. There's really nothing going on between us," Alex answered. For once, she was being honest. She didn't know why she should care what Fiona thought now, but for some reason, being back at Litchfield had made her feel different for the first time in years. She felt like she could just be her old self again, and not what the outside world had made her become.

"I meant the other blonde, who had just left. Your visitor. She looks familiar."

Alex sighed. "It doesn't matter. You better go now, Fiona, before they kick you out. People here aren't as friendly as they advertise on TV, you know."

"_We_ should go. Kubra will find you here. This isn't the most creative place to hide, you gotta admit that."

Alex nodded tiredly. "Yeah, I know." But, in truth, she didn't know where else she could go.

Fiona moved closer to Alex, pulling her into her arms. Her embrace was strong, uncharacteristically needy. Perhaps, the woman was deeply scared. It did warm Alex's heart that Fiona had missed her. In her weak moment, it just felt nice to know that she was loved.

"Let's leave together. I don't want to be with anyone else. I miss you so much," Fiona whispered into Alex's ear.

Without much thought, Alex slumped against Fiona for comfort, her breathing a little shallow. She was usually the dominant one in a relationship, but every once in a while, her mask crumbled. Right now it felt as though her ship had just sunk, and she was lost at sea. To have a shoulder to lean on was much needed. "He'll find me. Maybe... maybe it should really end here," she murmured.

"Alex! Why are you talking like that!? I'm not gonna let him get you. No way. Come with me." Fiona tightened her embrace, and Alex found it hard to breathe.

"He wants me dead, so it's best that you stay away. It's for your own safety. We talked about this, Fiona."

"But I-"

"There's still time. I think that he isn't mad enough to raid Litchfield. Not yet anyway."

"But he will, sooner or later. He takes sick, deep revenge. He's merciless, you know him."

Alex pulled away from Fiona, needing some air. She pressed one hand over her right ribcage. It throbbed again. In fact, it hurt all over her body. She just needed a rest.

"Baby, are you all right? You look so pale. You haven't told me what happened." Fiona frowned. She studied Alex for a moment, and then glanced around. It was dark and deserted behind the infirmary.

Alex began to cough. "Just a... small accident. Don't worry—" The air was suddenly knocked out of her lungs when she felt a harsh grip around her neck. She was thrust back, her head rammed against the cold wall. She could hardly breathe now, and her eyes were seeing stars. She tried to push Fiona away, her legs kicking limply.

Alex opened her eyes again. Her glasses had already fallen off, but she was more than certain that the person strangling her right now wasn't her girlfriend.

_What the hell... Mendez…?_

Standing at 248 cm., Mendez glowered down at Alex with his yellow, lizard-like eyes. His brownish skin was thick and scaly. His ears were large and pointy, his long tail wagging in curiosity. He was holding Alex up by the neck, her feet high above the ground. He stuck his black, long tongue out and licked the side of her face. "I've always wanted to do that." He smirked.

Alex growled in anger. George Mendez was one of Kubra's men. A nasty crew. He was powers absorber through deaths of his victims. His scaly, monster form was just one of his past victims' powers. And the fact that he could now fly only meant one thing.

_Fiona… No!_

Alex knew that she needed to fight. 'Alex Vause' would fight. But she wasn't even sure who she was anymore. She had lost her way little by little over the years since she had left Litchfield eight years ago. She had lost it just like Healy said. Desperate to prove Healy wrong, Alex searched within her, trying her damnedest to conjure her powers, but she felt nothing. Nothing but pain.

_Mom. _Alex called out as her consciousness was slipping away fast.

* * *

Piper wasn't sure what to make of her face the moment she barged into the temporary female ward and saw Alex in a certain redhead's embrace. It was totally unexpected. She had never seen the redhead around Litchfield before, but it didn't matter, did it? The moment she walked out of Alex's life four years ago, she had never expected Alex to wait for her-to still feel for her. Piper had moved on and found someone better, and it was only natural that Alex did too.

It really shouldn't have bothered Piper at all... except that it did. So much and so sudden that she was at a loss for words. It drilled a deep hole in her chest. She stiffened as she stood by the doorway, unsure how to react. She had come unprepared to give an excuse for the visit, and being momentarily speechless just made it worse. If only Alex would speak up-if she said anything at all, it might have helped Piper feel a little better. If Alex somehow awkwardly freed herself from the redhead's hold, it might have pulled Piper out of the quicksand of their past. Strangely, as definite as Piper had everything waited for her as soon as she was able to leave Litchfield, just one look at Alex could rattle her world. The piercing green gaze effortlessly mesmerized her, rocking her foundations and twisting all her reasons.

Piper cleared her throat when Ms. Claudette made her presence known. Alex looked relieved as if she had been waiting for some kind of intervention. What was there to explain? Piper turned to see an annoyed Jessica, and then a brooding look from the redhead. Slowly a train of thoughts entered her mind.

_Oh, no_... Piper refused to imagine things further. She caught Alex glancing at her, but ignored it. Before her imagination could run wilder than it already had, she turned on her heels and left.

* * *

Stalking across the yard towards the North Mansion, Piper continued to curse herself for having slipped this far down the Vause's evil slope. She reminded herself not to waste a second of sympathy on Alex again. Ever. She vowed to keep her distance from now on.

_She doesn't deserve my time. Not at all. We're from two different worlds. _Arms tight across her chest, Piper quickened her pace as if she couldn't get herself further away from the infirmary fast enough. _But she still looks so ill. _Involuntarily, Piper acknowledged that it was her fault.

"Dammit." Piper turned around and headed back towards the infirmary.

Piper admitted that it looked ridiculous that she had shown up unannounced, and then left without any explanation. What had she got to be afraid of? It was just Alex standing there with her girlfriend. It shouldn't bother her. However, Piper had never imagined the jealous look on Jessica's face. She had thought that the Fantastic Four hated everyone—anything from the South like they were leeches. But she should have expected anything when the matter concerned 'Alex Vause'.

With long strides, Piper reached the third floor. She pushed open the doors to the temporary female ward, but was puzzled to find only Jessica, Daya, and a few other patients on the beds. Alex and her girlfriend apparently had already left. Piper paused for a moment, fidgety by the doorway. She hated all the thoughts that were rushing in her head at the moment. Where did Alex go? She wasn't well enough to be moving this much, was she? Was Alex serious with that redhead? What they could have been doing at the moment—

"They're probably downstairs. Ms. Claudette asked them to leave," Daya explained, while handing some pills to Jessica.

Piper let out a soft 'oh', trying her best to keep her face calm. Then there was that growl from Jessica again, and Piper stopped. She remembered how Jessica and her minions threatened her to stay away from Alex—to stay out of 'trouble'. Somehow, it seemed rather apparent to her now.

"They're in the backyard. It's how Alex likes it," Jessica said, smirking.

Piper raised a brow. _Thanks, bitch_. She had to admire Jessica for even trying to move a facial muscle, considering how painful it looked. "Thanks, Wedge," Piper said, turning to leave. In all honesty, she didn't want to imagine what Alex was doing. She just wanted to apologize for the damage she had done, and from now on, she would maintain their distance. The past was just a past. She had no wish to undo it, or correct it. She had a much better life now without Alex. Surely they would go separate ways.

Piper exited the main entrance, and turned around the corner of the building. She halted in her tracks when she heard an ongoing conversation.

"... maybe it should really end here."

One hand rested against the wall, Piper listened attentively. It was Alex's voice, but for some reason, it hurt just to hear how tired Alex was. 'Alex Vause' was supposed to be strong and beautiful. She was supposed to be water in a desert storm—the moon in the darkest night. But the light had disappeared. That fire Piper used to see in the green eyes had gone. Unlike the time they were still together, Alex had now looked defeated. Against all her reasons, Piper couldn't help but wonder what had happened during the four years they were apart. She wanted to know. She needed to know if she wasn't the only one who suffered.

Piper was shaken as thoughts of those years hung heavily on her mind. She wasn't strong enough to face it now. Larry had been a home to her—a safe place, and she wasn't equipped for something as wild and strange as Litchfield. The place had brought out more raw feelings than she had ever anticipated. Litchfield had made her feel different in many ways.

"Why are you talking like that!? I'm not gonna let him get you... Come with me."

"… It's best that you stay away. We talked about this, Fiona."

Piper froze, her fists clenched. Was Alex in some kind of danger? Who tried to harm Alex? Then she frowned when she heard a thud and a muffled cry. She turned at the corner and saw a large, lizard monster instead of Fiona, holding Alex up by the neck. The raven-haired woman appeared helpless in the deadly grasp.

Piper's eyes widened at the sight. "Alex!" Her cry caught the monster's attention. He turned to look at her, and then smiled.

"And I thought you look familiar. Now I see. Piper Chapman, the one that Vause hid away." Mendez let out a throaty laugh. "No more hiding, Chapman. I am going to take your life tonight!" he roared.

"Run—" Alex struggled in his grasp. "Run, Pipes! He kills to steal powers—" He shove her against the wall again, and pain shot through her whole.

"I'll kill you first then. Traitor," Mendez hissed. He arched his right arm back, his sharp claws ready.

"No!" Piper reached out both hands. Her powers sent both Alex and the lizard flying and crashing several meters away. _Shit!_ Her control over her powers got really wonky today, unfortunately.

Piper ran to Alex, trying to pull Alex up. But the taller woman didn't fare well at all as she could barely sit up on her own. Blood was trickling down Alex's forehead, where she had hit the wall twice.

"Alex! Alex! Are you all right!?" Piper ran her hands all over Alex's face.

Alex winced. She had to grab Piper's wrists to stop the blonde's frantic hand movements. "I'm… ok... Piper, stop—"

"You're bleeding! Are you sure—"

At the lizard's roar, Alex turned to see him flying above them, his large wings fanned out. He dove down and snatched Piper with his claws, hooking at the base of her neck and her left ribcage.

"Pipes!" Horror filled the green eyes when the lizard ascended fast and let Piper freefall down to the infirmary's roof. From where Alex was, she couldn't see if Piper was still moving or not. The fall was pretty high, and the impact must have been nasty.

"Alex!" Jessica and Daya came out through the front door, rushing towards Alex.

"What happened!? We heard crashes!" Daya was out of breath.

"Alex, you're bleeding! What's going on here!?" Jessica grabbed Alex's arms, trying to steady the woman's swaying form. She looked around and spotted Alex's glasses some distance away. She let Daya help Alex while she went to retrieve the glasses.

"Explain yourself at once, Vause. What is happening here?" It was Ms. Claudette approaching, her voice stern and her stare intense.

Before Alex could respond, Jessica glanced up at the sky, her jaw dropped. The look had both Ms. Claudette and Daya turning to look up as well. The large lizard was zooming down at the roof again, the long tail wrapping around Piper's neck and pulling her up.

"Is that Chapman!?" Daya screamed in shock.

"Looks like it," Jessica grunted, momentarily ignoring her face pain. She shot ice balls at the lizard in an attempt to distract him, while trying not to hit the injured Piper. Although the lizard was huge, he was exceptionally fast, skillfully dodging Jessica's attacks.

Alex leaned against Daya, her breathing heavy. She felt a rush of rage building within her when Mendez slammed Piper down against the tiled roof again. Piper wasn't even moving now. There was no resistance from the blonde, and Alex's heart sank to the bottomless pitch of desperation. She was enraged with herself that she could only watch, powerless to help. She was pained to realize what a failure she had become. A failure to her mother, her mentor, Fiona... and now Piper.

_Piper... Piper... God, Piper..._

Pain flooded her senses. Her head ached like it was going to explode. Alex shut her eyes as her body began to shake. She clenched her fists. She wanted to let it out, but she was afraid. She was afraid of the monster inside—the one that she had learned to embrace, but failed her in the end.

Daya noted Alex's tremble, and turned to her in worry. "Vause—" But her voice was drowned by a bolt of lightning blasting down at the roof. Its explosive shock wave cracked the roof, tiles flying everywhere in broken bits and pieces. The force sent Mendez off the roof, plummeting to the ground. Piper fell from his grasp and hit the ground next to him.

The sight of Piper's still body only fanned Alex's fury. She pushed Daya out of her way, stalking across the yard towards the lizard. The moment Mendez got up to his knees, Alex reached forwards, and bolts of electric current shot through his mouth and eyes, effectively chaining him to his knees as if he was begging as he should be. If Mendez was screaming, no one heard him as violent waves of electric current deafened the whole area. It looked like Mendez was going to die a painful death tonight.

"That's enough, Vause!" Ms. Claudette warned.

Daya rushed to Piper and dragged her as far away from the lightning striker as much as possible.

"I said—" Ms. Claudette started, but Alex fiercely turned around and blasted a lightning bolt at her. The old lady would have been struck had not been a wall of ice blocking between her and Alex.

"Alex! Stop it! Have you gone mad!?" Jessica squealed when Alex turned to roar at her.

Alex couldn't stop now. It felt so natural to her—the powers she had embraced. It represented her. It consumed her. It _was_ her. She produced more powers. Beautiful, blue electric currents licked at her fists, ready to be discharged. Her eyes were not even green anymore, but glossed in icy blue.

"Alex, no—" Jessica took a step back.

Before Alex could deliver the strike, a hand had reached out and softly touched her cheek, instantly dulling her. It was Ms. Claudette. The old lady had moved beside Alex, her right glove removed. The dangerous sight told Alex what to expect.

The electric currents simply vanished, her energy drained. Her mind became hazy, her focus lost. Then she began to shake. It felt as though air was sucked out of her lungs, and her skin was about to split, bones about to break. Her vision blurred, and her ears were numbed by the loud, desperate beating of her heart. Her knees finally gave in, and blackness devoured her.

_Piper..._

* * *

**Hope** this chap answered some of your questions :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

"_It's a little cold out for a margarita, don't you think?"_

_Piper laughed as Alex delivered the line. Alex was trying to imitate the moment they first met at the bar. It was a joke they liked to tease each other. Piper couldn't believe how fast the months had gone._

_Holding big grocery bags, they walked along the bridge, heading back to Alex's apartment. _

_Piper smiled so widely that her cheeks hurt, but she kept telling herself that it was the cold wind. "That's the worst pick-up line I've ever heard. And you're the worst girlfriend I've ever had."_

"_I'm hurt." Alex giggled. Her foggy breath clouded her glasses. Her cheeks were red. Her skin was pale and delicate like snow itself. She was wearing a navy-colored, bubble jacket, a black t-shirt underneath and a pair of worn jeans. No matter how simple the attires were, Piper always found Alex looking good in almost everything, especially when she was wearing nothing._

_Piper took another long glance at her girlfriend. Even though they'd been spending a lot of time together, it never felt enough for her. She could watch Alex forever. "Please tell me you didn't always use that line, because that would be so lame." Piper lightly elbowed the woman._

_"You'd be surprised." Alex chortled. "No, you're so not gonna get it out of me, Piper Chapman. I won't tell you how I picked them up, or I'd never hear the end of it. You're one jealous girlfriend."_

"_I am not. I don't care how many girls you've dated before. I never asked, remember?" Piper tried to keep her voice cool. Alex's seemingly being exclusive with her had appeased her somewhat, but Lord knew how curious she had been._

_They had been together for five months (already much longer than she had first expected), but it was the first time in her life that she felt a deep bond with someone in such a short amount of time. A leisure walk in the park, or a wall of naughty texts. Holding hands, an innocent kiss. A hot, wild sex, or just simply lying in bed, cherishing the warmth from each other's body. It didn't matter what, how or why it was what it was with Alex, it couldn't have been better for her. She couldn't have wanted it more. She wouldn't want it with anyone else._

_Alex smirked as if she had read Piper's mind. "I love you. I really do."_

_Piper bit her bottom lip, pretending to look away._

"_I don't say that to everyone. You have to say it back." Alex nuzzled her nose at the blonde locks, and then nipped at Piper's neck._

"_Hey, not fair!" Piper backed away, blushing at the ticklish feeling._

_Alex's chuckle sounded soft and raspy at the same time, and Piper loved hearing it. She decided to keep quiet, yearning for more._

"_Say it. Please?" Alex stepped in front of Piper, blocking her way. Their grocery bags maintained an undesirable space between them. Alex had that knowing smile, waiting._

_Smiling like an idiot, Piper leaned closer to Alex, gazing into the deep, green eyes. Their foreheads touched, and she said, "I love you, too."_

More than you'll ever know.

* * *

People say that love hurt—that it hurt like nothing else. Piper knew that all too well when she walked out of Alex's life. Unfortunately, four years later she still found herself at the exact same spot where she had been. To make matters worse, it seemed that she had trekked deep into the shit hole of this lost world of superheroes. Piper Chapman was in trouble, and she knew it.

Piper groaned, her eyelids fluttering open. Horrible pain reminded her that she was still alive, but definitely unwell.

"She's awake." Polly's voice rang at her right. "She's awake, nurse!"

"I'll call Ms. Claudette now. I'll get her friends here!" Daya said with an enthusiastic tone.

"_I_ am her friend," Polly remarked, rolling her eyes. She then leaned over the bed, beaming at Piper. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"

"Hey… ah—" Piper's throat was painfully dry, she could barely speak. Polly offered her a cup of water, and she sipped through the straw. "Thank you," she said as she lied back down on the bed.

Polly settled the cup on the bedside table again. "You were out for a whole week. We were worried sick, Piper. Mr. Bloom considered taking you back to the city, but Ms. Claudette insisted that you'd be safer here. The security is much tighter than ever. Everyone is afraid now after what happened to you. I knew it must be Vause and those shady people she was with. I never understood why Litchfield took her back."

Glancing left and right, Piper was aware that she was admitted to the infirmary. She could feel the left side of her face swollen and the nasty sting on her forehead. Her left arm was cast, and possibly she had suffered several broken ribs. Her head was heavy as she tried to register each pain on her body, where it hurt and how bad. Her legs were painful; they hurt so much that she wanted to scream. There must be horrible bruises and cuts everywhere. God, she felt like she had been run over by a truck a dozen times. After a few attempts to clear her mind, she eventually recollected some of the events that had happened.

_The redhead… that night… the lizard and Alex… Alex!?_

Piper shot up in panic, lifting her shoulders for a few seconds before falling back down.

"Jesus! Don't move!" Polly reluctantly pressed a hand on Piper's shoulder. "Stay still!"

_That_..._sounds like a good idea. Fuck_.

Piper inaudibly cried at the pain rippling through her torso. "Alex—" she breathed, "Where's…? What happened? She's… safe? Polly, is—"

"Slow down, Piper." When the blonde didn't try to move again, Polly sat back down. "Vause got it pretty bad. Not counting the injuries you and that freakin' lizard gave her, Ms. Claudette sucked out her life energy to stop her from all the madness she was causing. She's gonna need some serious recovery time if she were to get up and kick some butt again."

Piper froze. She had heard of Ms. Claudette's terrifying powers, and wasn't surprised why the old lady had always kept herself busy in a fairly vacant infirmary. "But… why did she hurt Alex?" Her voice was thin and dry.

"She's in the SHU along with the lizard guy. Well, she had it coming. She almost killed both Ms. Claudette and Jessica that night. She lost control again. She always crossed that fucking line." Polly shook her head exasperatedly. "I hope that Mr. Bloom will get rid of her for good this time. I really don't understand the golden treatment she's getting around here."

Piper found it ironic. 'Golden treatment' was janitorial duties Alex got after Piper beat her up and being sent to the SHU for fighting to save herself. "They put her there… with her conditions like that?" Piper found it difficult to breathe at the thought. It infuriated her. Alex might have lost control over her powers, posing threats to others. But if Alex belonged down there, Piper felt that she did too. "I need to see—ah—" She tried to get up, but her body wouldn't cooperate.

"Jeez, let her rot." Polly shrugged, taking the cup of hot coffee from the bedside table and taking a sip. "Dangerous people like her should be locked away for as long as needed. But knowing Mr. Bloom, he'd probably grow soft on her again. Remember what I told you about him and Vause's mother?"

_Diane Vause_. Piper had met her a few times before. A free-spirited woman with a strong sense of independence and a wild sense of love. Sometimes Piper had felt that Alex was a complete opposite to her mother. Alex had found encouragement in the shady group of people. Alex had hardly followed her heart like Diane had, more guarded and refused to commit. Alex had not believed in love. And it had hurt Piper so deeply that she had felt used in the end.

"Is it as bad as they say it is in the SHU?" Piper's thought was gloomy.

"It is. But don't worry. It's bearable as long as she's not fully conscious. Mr. Bloom will probably let her out soon, or you could talk to him. He's a family, right?" Polly then smirked over her coffee. "Why are you so concerned about her? Is she really just a stranger to you?"

Piper paused at the sudden question. "What—why would you ask—"

"Because you'd been calling out for her in your sleep." Polly laughed at Piper's widened blue eyes.

Piper diligently kept her gaze on the ceiling. "I—uh—we, yes, we were… old friends. We have a strong bond. Good, old friends."

"You beat her up on her first day back, but lied that it was just a misunderstanding. But now you two were good friends? You're a bad liar."

Piper simply sighed in defeat. "I never—no, I didn't expect to see her here or anywhere ever again. It's...complicated. God, it's still a little overwhelming for me. I need some times to let it all cool down."

"What did she do? Was she like a bitch that dated your brother and then dumped him heartlessly? Did she steal your boyfriend? Your money?" Polly's curious gaze was making Piper uncomfortable.

"We broke up four years ago. We were together for only a year, but it was really intense… It didn't end well." Piper decided to admit the truth because she suspected that Polly had already made the right guess.

"A violent reunion." Polly smirked, but quickly stopped. "No. Don't tell me that Nichols knew this before I do. Fuck. She did, didn't she? I'm your roommate, Piper."

"You were gone for two weeks, and Nicky was always around." Piper chortled, but stopped at the growing chest pain. "She's… really a nice... and fun person. You should really give her a chance."

"That's right, Molly. And it's great to see you again, Chapman!" Nicky walked in. She gave a pat on Polly's shoulder, earning a look from the brunette.

Lorna and Bennett followed Nicky in, and they greeted Piper with a warm smile.

Although Piper didn't know those two very well, she smiled back. She was in pain. She was exhausted by just holding a conversation, but she was also very grateful. "Hey... it's good to see you guys too." She was just glad to be alive.

* * *

_Alex stabbed the cigarette into the ashtray, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Is that all? Six names?" She looked over the files on her desk. The gaps between the curtains allowed little sunlight in, and the only source of light in the room was the desk lamp._

_There were brief profiles on six people suspected of being 'gifted', but not yet identified and claimed by Litchfield. The targets were the people who acknowledged their powers rather late in life. Alex had learned of her powers' existence at 13, but her 'clients' mostly found it in their thirties or sometimes as late as fifties. They would have a much harder time to adjust to their new lives. They would need a lot of reassurances, a group they truly belonged. They would need a lot convincing and comforts. Alex was just fucking brilliant at her job. She always delivered the goods._

"_Gloria Mendoza, 43, two children. Illegal immigrant… Oliver T. Cross, 52, single. An engineer. Liver problems. Ha... Piper Elizabeth Chapman, 23, Smith grad. Hmm. Isn't she cute?" Alex commented as she went over the files. Piper's age had caught her attention. The woman was too young to fit into her usual set of targets, but too old to catch Litchfield's eyes._

"_Cute isn't what you're going to find about her. Her powers have been suspected as a telekinesis, a significant ability amongst us. It's even greater if it was channeled properly and for the right purposes."_

_Alex looked up at Fahri, an Arab man in his mid-forties. A mustached-man, Fahri always looked proper, always in his clean, neat shirt and a pair of slacks, his black shoes polished. "There have been several telekinetic bastards around," Alex commented, shrugging._

"_Litchfield always gets to them first, and we never hear about them again."_

_Alex paused for a second. "What do you mean?"_

"_It's either they kept them hidden away, or they killed them. A powerful gift can be a dangerous weapon, or a self-destruct one." Fahri walked to the desk and lit up another cigarette for his favorite apprentice._

_Alex sucked in a small breath, steadying the burning on the cigarette. She exhaled. "Thanks."_

_Fahri watched her with attentive eyes. "People don't like it when you become too powerful. Remember that."_

_Alex never forgot his words. Alex didn't fail to disappoint him._

* * *

Green eyes fought to open, but unlike how it usually failed a thousand times before, Alex could actually focus on the ceiling above this time around. The blueish-white lightbulbs on the dark-colored, plastic ceiling. The air was cold. The bed was hard. The thin blanket that was covering the lower half of her body provided so little warmth that she was shivering, her teeth chattering.

_The SHU… Fuck…_

It wasn't the first time Alex had been in the SHU, but the experiences weren't something she would like to repeat. The room was small, and after spending a few hours in here would make anyone goes claustrophobic. She had gone for weeks or months without interacting with another human being. The only positive thing she could think of at the moment was that whatever drugs they were giving her were doing their jobs fine, keeping the wall of pain at a distance.

Alex tried to move, but was startled to feel some restraints on her wrists. She glanced down to see the thick handcuffs chaining her to the bed. They had never put her under harsh restraints like this before. This looked really bad, and she didn't want to imagine how long they were planning to leave her here. She began to regret, cursing herself for coming back to Litchfield.

Alex breathed hard at the sight of the handcuffs, grunting as she fought against the restraint devices. Fears began to overwhelm her. The more she moved, pain started to come back faster, ripping her from the dreamy state she had been in. But she wanted to move. She needed to move away.

_Now_.

Her mind was a little clearer than it was a moment ago, and Alex took advantage of it. She forced every fiber of her being to act and react—to fight against it. Icy blue began to gloss over her eyes as electric current ran along the length of her arms. She wanted to destroy. She needed to be freed.

"Alex!"

Alex heard the call of her name, but she couldn't quite register where the voice came from. She was sure that she had been alone in this tiny, god-forsaken space. She tried harder to conjure her powers.

"No...! Alex, stop...! Stop it!"

Electric current grew fiercer as the cry for her name grew more desperate.

_'Please, don't hurt me! Please!' _Someone had begged for his life, kneeling before her in the rain. His desperate cries for mercy still echoed in her mind whenever she wasn't careful. But she had been merciless. She had left Litchfield to become someone new—someone competent. But it hadn't been what she had expected at all.

_Shut up... Get out of my head! Just shut up!_

"Alex…! Please, Al, it's me…!"

That voice.

Alex recognized that voice. Her body went stoic and cold. Her powers receded. She couldn't even see the ceiling now. Everything was a blur around her like she was locked behind the wall of thick clouds she had conjured up herself. However, the warmth on her cheek gradually pulled her back to reality. She lied flat on her back again, panting. She was exhausted already from the brief struggle, her whole body shaken.

Alex turned her head slightly, and saw the bluest shade of blue in the eyes she had dearly missed. She must be dreaming. Piper couldn't have been in here, could she? It must have been the drugs they had injected her. She had no complaints now if they would give her more.

"Jeez, I'll come back in a few minutes. I don't fancy being electrocuted in this tiny fucking room. Too close. Just too fucking close. Oh, and make it quick, all right? We'd get in so much trouble if they found out."

"Thanks so much, Nicky."

"You owe me one."

_Piper… Nicky…?_

Alex hadn't the best grasp on what was going on. She waited for a few more moments to compose herself. And, there it was, Piper was leaning over the bed, gazing down at her. The blonde looked pretty beaten up herself, bags under the dull eyes, pallid skin and a left arm cast. Piper could barely stand straight. The woman had to lean heavily against the bed.

Icy blue completely vanished, exposing Alex's true green. She smiled groggily. "It's… cold out… for a margarita…"

Piper chuckled. "Don't get cute with me. You almost electrocuted us just a moment ago."

"... weren't supposed... to... be here."

Piper looked serious, her eyes narrowed. "I know that I shouldn't have come." She paused for a moment, and then touched the handcuff around the thin wrist. "But I needed to see if you're all right."

Alex felt her body start to numb again, her mind dazed. It must have been the effects of the drugs. She must have been dreaming. There was no way Piper could be here.

_It's just a dream—a nightmare_.

* * *

Piper was leaning against the bed, looming over the raven-haired woman. Alex had stared at her, but then not. It was clear to her that Alex was still in a drug-induced state.

Alex stared off into the distance, and soon mumbled in her sleep. "Not here... can't..."

Piper gently brushed the dark, sweaty strands of hair away from the pale face. She couldn't believe that she had bothered, risking and breaking more rules, to seek for Alex either. Just three weeks ago, she would never have imagined herself wanting to have anything to do with Alex Vause ever again.

"Alex?" Piper watched as Alex twisted on the bed rather violently. "Hey... hey, I'm here... I'm here now," she cooed. She had to hold her hand tightly in reassurance, and only then that Alex seemed to relax.

Waiting for Alex to fall deeper into slumber exhausted Piper more than she had expected. Piper shifted uncomfortably. The pain on her right leg intensified, and she decided to sit properly along the edge of the bed. She had been moving around too much when she was advised not to leave her bed at all. Hearing from Daya how she got her ass kicked by Mendez, everyone was surprised that she managed to come out of it without life-threatening injuries. The only possible explanation was that Piper had tried to stop herself in the air during the fall from Mendez's grasp down to the roof. Even though she had failed to stop completely, it had helped slowing down the fall.

The thought sent chills down Piper's spine. The nightmare had happened before. It was just another souvenir from a terrible ex.

_Damn you, Alex._

Piper glared down at the sleeping woman, wishing her all the horrible nightmares. After all that they had gone through, she couldn't believe that she still spared even a thought on Alex. And it exasperated her even more to realize that she couldn't stop herself, considering all the things she had done in the past weeks concerning the brunette. Even now that she was cursing Alex in her head, she kept pondering of ways to get the woman out of the SHU. It pained her to see Alex in this state even though she knew that it was for safety reasons, which she had witnessed it for the first time today.

_Lightning._ Piper wondered how Alex had always smelt like a cool breeze all the time. She loved breathing Alex, and now she only understood why. _Shit, I really need to stop thinking..!_ Piper palmed her face. She felt feverish, her body aching badly. Tiredly she sighed and gazed down at Alex once more. _What are you doing to me?_

Then Piper looked up when she heard some movements a short distance away. _Nicky?_ But she froze at the sight of the door slid open, revealing Howard and Red in the brightly lit corridor. The two were in black suits, staring back at her, unimpressed.

_I'm fucked…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Note: **I've been writing this story on my mobile. Google seemed to update its words format, the bugs just lost me several progresses in this chapter. Sorry for the delay as I had to rewrite quite a few times. Thanks for all the fav/fol/rev.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Piper was summoned to Howard's office. Red, her powers training instructor, had also joined the meeting. She didn't particularly want to know what had gone through Howard's mind when he caught her in the SHU. She wondered how he'd interpret the whole thing and translate it to Larry.

_Shit._ Piper realized that it was the first time she'd thought of Larry today. Occupying the chair in front of Howard's desk, with Red to her right, she looked up at Howard. She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"I informed Larry about the attack as soon as I received the news. Throughout the week that you'd been unconscious, I constantly updated him of your progress. As of today, I've already informed him that you have awakened. He asked if he could come see you, but I refused. He'll be waiting for your evening call as usual. I hope that you're feeling well enough to make a phone call."

Piper sensed a hint of sarcasm in his last statement, but decided to ignore it. Howard was right to be suspicious about her behaviors around Alex. And the truth was that Piper felt too ill to be bothered making an excuse. She could barely sit straight on the chair. "Of course, I... I'll make the call. I can't wait to hear from him again. And thank you for letting him know about the attack. I wouldn't want him to go crazy, not knowing why I hadn't contacted him for a week."

"He already went nuts just to learn that you were injured. But that's for another time." Howard cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. "This is the second time you've broken the rules, Piper. I know that it's hard to adjust to this new life. It must be frustrating with this whole superpowers ordeal, the life with limited freedom, being away from family and friends, but you've proven to be unwilling to cooperate. The SHU is off-limit, yet you still went for it. I tried to overlook when you attacked Alex Vause more than a week ago, but you've done it again. Normally if a resident continued to cause problems, they would be sent to the secured unit, and if the problems persisted, they'd be sent to the SHU. I don't want you, or anyone, to go down that road. Surely you've seen what it's like in the SHU."

Piper paused. How could she forget how they strapped Alex down like a wounded, helpless animal? "What does she have to do to be released? I heard that she lost control, and almost hurt other people, but she was just fighting to save herself. I saw her being attacked. She'd be dead by now if I hadn't interfered in time. That lizard monster was insane."

Howard looked even more unimpressed now. "I've just told you the consequences that you might face if you break the rules again, but all you could say is to try to make excuses for Vause?" He sat back, his hands clasped together. "Perhaps I've been too lenient on you."

"What is your relation with Vause?" Red spoke, turning to gaze at Piper.

"Old friends. We had a dispute some years ago, but we're good friends again… Now." Piper knew that she couldn't lie to these two, but in all honesty, she didn't particularly care to convince anyone at the moment. She just wanted to get Alex out of there. "Please, it wasn't entirely her fault. She was attacked. She was forced to use her powers. I know that she failed to control herself, but... I-I think I can stop her. I stopped her in the SHU. The thing is that she needs helps. But being in the SHU just terrified her. It's not helping her. But I can help. I want to help."

Red darkly chuckled. "You cannot even control your own powers very well, young woman."

"I am aware of my shortcomings at times, but I can prove it to you. I am in so much, umm, I'm better in tune with my powers ever since I got here. And I feel that Alex could-"

"Vause had years of trainings, yet she still lost it. Of course, we all slip at times, but never cross the line and harm others." Howard sighed, his face grim. "I know that you mean well, Piper. But we're talking about fatal threats here. It's not only about Vause's powers being one of the risks, but her involvement with a certain syndicate during the past eight years. We know very little about what went on with her during those times. Even her best friend, Nichols, didn't know everything."

"A syndicate?" Piper raced through her mind for some clues from the past, but the increasing headache just made it next to impossible. Slowly she massaged her right temple, trying not to make it too obvious.

"Would you like to rest? We could continue this conversation some other times," Howard said. He did sound genuinely worried for her, and it touched her.

Red leaned closer to Piper, studying her. "The syndicate collects superheroes to work against the government, and ultimately, to ruin Litchfield's purpose to peacefully coexist with ordinary humans. Now I ask you this. Do you know anything about the syndicate? People like George Mendez, the lizard man. How did you become 'good friends' with dangerous, murky kind of people like Vause?"

Her hand lowered to rest on her thigh, Piper blinked at Red, keeping her face calm. "No, I had never met Mendez before that night." She was telling the truth. Alex had mentioned the syndicate she had been involved in, but never in deep details.

But Piper had met someone else from the ring. _Fahri_. She remembered how Alex practically worshipped the dark-skinned man. He was like a brother to Alex, a big influence in her life. Somehow Piper was never fond of him even though they had hung out several times together. He had Alex's life wrapped around his fingers. In the end, whatever love Alex and Piper once shared, Alex had chosen them over her.

Howard cleared his throat before taking a sip of his coffee. "The reason we took Vause back is that we want to keep her close. We need to know our enemy better. But things have escalated much faster than we expected. We thought that Vause came back as a spy, but now it's pretty clear that she's fallen out with them and is wanted dead. But that doesn't automatically make her one of us again. Given her history, she can't be trusted. We only keep her here for precautions. One less member for the syndicate, a lot less problems for us."

Piper just nodded. "Yes… yes, I agree."

Red sent one glance at Howard before reaching out and touching Piper's arm. "The more you can tell us about Vause's involvement with the syndicate, the faster she'd be out of the SHU."

* * *

Piper groaned as sunlight hit her eyes.

Daya had pulled the curtains open, letting in some morning light. "Good morning, Chapman."

"Morning," Piper said reflexively. Was it morning already? She rubbed her eyes with her good hand, trying to recall what happened yesterday. The SHU. The meeting. The deal.

_Fuck. I forgot to call Larry. _Piper remembered leaving Howard's office and went straight back to the infirmary. She found her bed, and the rest of the day was spent on a long, deep slumber. She was too tired to even dream. Yawning, she actually felt a little hungry now. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten," the nurse replied. She moved to Piper's bed and put a small medicine cup on the bedside table. "Two for the pain. If the headache doesn't go away, call for me." She smiled before turning to place another medicine cup on the adjacent table. She glanced back at Piper, and said, "Please remind her to take the pills. She's going to need them when she wakes up."

Piper watched Daya, perplexed, but then froze when the nurse moved away, revealing a sleeping form on the bed next to hers. Someone had been occupying the space. So close, yet too close to see.

Alex groaned in her sleep, possibly irritated by the warm sunlight coming through the windows, pooling over her. She tried to shift away from the source of annoyance, but could hardly move before falling back to the same position again. Perhaps, she had unknowingly moved too much, and the pain stirred her out of slumber. Green eyes fluttered open, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling.

Piper watched the raven-haired woman, mesmerized by those eyes she used to love. She had accepted the deal, and Howard and Red really kept their words and let Alex out of the SHU. She just sighed in pure relief when she saw no restraints on Alex's body.

Slowly Alex turned her head to the side, and halted at the sight of Piper staring back at her.

"Good morning." Piper smiled.

Alex's eyes widened slightly. Her full lips split into a childlike grin, although still groggy and tired. Pink flushed her sickly pale cheeks. "Morning."

Piper cherished the sight before her, grinning from ear to ear. "I need a coffee. I can smell it miles away. Those bastards are having their coffees in the cafeteria. Do you want a coffee?"

"Maybe."

Piper listened to the husky whisper.

"Maybe I need more."

That voice got her every time.

* * *

Piper and Alex spent their day in the infirmary, going over their injury lists. Piper was quite proud of it since it was her first physical fight in her entire life. Even though she got her ass kicked major time, she still felt that she had toughened up somehow. It excited her. It gave her a new sort of energy, a deadly rush she had never felt before.

"It was crazy. I thought he broke your neck or something," Alex said. She was leaning back against the stack of pillows, already a novel in her hands, borrowed from Ms. Claudette's collections. Although her voice was calm, Piper could catch the understated anger, but decided to ignore it.

"A lot of people thought so too. Well, it must have been my sub-consciousness or something. I must have destroyed the roof somehow without knowing it."

"Jeez, Pipes, it was my lightning that destroyed it. Ego much?"

A moment of silence passed. Piper stared across the small space between their beds. "You struck the roof? You struck it while I was up there?"

Alex lowered the book to her lap. "I had to get him off you somehow, right?"

"You could have killed me then! No, thank you!"

"But it worked. I saved your ass." Alex giggled, but then coughed through it.

"Your ego is astounding. I have no words for it."

"So now it's my fault? Something never changed." Alex rolled her eyes.

Piper shook her head. "Oh, I've changed a lot. You'll be surprised." She then gestured at the bandages around her legs and feet. "For instance, those are war wounds. Just imagine. Now I've got the coolest story to tell. Piper Elizabeth Chapman fought the lizard monster!"

Alex chuckled as she returned to her reading. "I'm not sure if your fiancé would be thrilled to hear that."

Piper glanced at Alex. She can't tell if Alex was just joking or being sarcastic. It did disappoint her that Alex could mention Larry without much thought. Piper berated herself. What did she expect? Did she want Alex to feel jealous like when she thought of Fiona or Jessica?

"Alex!" Jessica marched in through the doors. The bruises on her face looked better now. Her blonde hair had returned to being silky and straight. Piper bet that it smelled nice too, and unconsciously she touched her own messy, blonde locks.

"Hey, Jess." Alex smiled lightly as Jessica came to sit at the edge of her bed.

Quickly, Piper grabbed the iPad on her bedside table and pretended to be using it.

"I heard that they let you out of the SHU today. How are you feeling? I couldn't believe that they put you in there while you were badly injured! I tried talking to Mr. Healy, but he wouldn't listen. He was just so thrilled to bust you. Thank God that Mr. Bloom got back yesterday. He saved you from that wretched place." Jessica wasn't even trying to hide the concerns in her eyes and voice. She placed a palm over Alex's forehead, and sighed in relief when Alex's fever hadn't been too bad.

Alex mustered a dry smile. "At least I was unconscious for most of the lock up. I didn't even know I was there. Anyway, I've been to the SHU before, so it's nothing new."

Alex might have put up a nonchalant façade, but Piper could still catch the hint of dread in those green eyes. Surely Alex remembered how scared she was in the SHU. Being restrained in a confinement such as that would terrify anyone. Then she wondered if Alex remembered her brief visit-if the woman knew that she cared.

"In fact, you sent me there the first time, remember?" Chuckling, Alex brushed her nose with the back of her hand.

Piper frowned, whilst keeping her gaze on the iPad. Alex had runny nose. Did Alex catch a cold?

Jessica stiffened at the mention, and then both of them burst out fits of giggles. Alex, however, had to stop soon as she put a hand on her left rib. "You started it, Alex! You put a roach in my soup!"

Alex rolled her eyes, lowering her hands to her lap, playing with the book. "It was just a roach. Thanks to you. At sixteen, I was the youngest person ever to go to the SHU."

"Well, I'm sorry." Jessica's apology took Piper by surprise, and Piper involuntarily looked up. "I didn't know that Mr. Healy would go that far. He really hates your guts."

"Don't I know that," Alex muttered, and then glanced at Piper's way.

Their gazes locked, and Piper panicked. "What?" She sounded more curt than she had intended.

Jessica growled at Piper. "We saved your ass that night, Chapman. You should be thanking us."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Alex muffled her laugh, looking away when Jessica scowled at her.

"Can you be serious for once?" Jessica chastised Alex with an intense stare, and Piper didn't like it one bit.

Jessica then turned her attention back to Piper. "So much troubles have happened ever since you moved here, Chapman. What's with you and the lizard guy? You got Alex injured, almost killed, and then sent her to the SHU for trying to save you."

Piper looked at Alex, who stiffened at once.

"It's not her fault. Mendez was here for me, not Piper," Alex explained.

"But you lost control, trying to save her, because she couldn't defend herself. Then you got punished for it. How many more times this has to happen?" Jessica crossed her arms across her chest.

Piper paused. They had told her that Alex had lost control and had almost hurt Ms. Claudette and Jessica, but not the reason that caused it. "What do you want? An apology? Will that erase the week in the SHU?" She sighed in frustration, clutching the blanket over her legs. She'd be the last person on earth to want to see Alex being chained like an animal, but she was as powerless as Alex was, with or without the chains.

Alex adjusted her glasses, looking away.

"What I meant was that you should stay away from Alex. She kept getting into serious troubles whenever you're around. Get well soon. Learn fast. So you could leave Litchfield and get back to your fiancé."

As much as Piper hated Jessica's tone of voice, she decided not to respond. She kept quiet for another two hours until Jessica left the infirmary. By then, her iPad had run out of battery. She grumbled, making a mental note to tell Polly to leave the charger here next time.

"Hey," Alex whispered, sipping water through a straw. She sounded tired after a long chat. Piper honestly thought that Jessica had tried too hard.

Piper loudly groaned as she moved her legs to the more comfortable positions.

"I'm sure Jess didn't mean to sound as harsh. She doesn't have the friendliest manners as you can see."

"It's cool, Alex. It's great to see you get along so well with the ice princess. I can't careless what she says or thinks about me. Don't worry." Piper winced at the pain as she rolled to her side, facing away from Alex. She recalled all the mean laughs and cruel jokes Jessica used to make of Alex at the dinning table. People had strange ways to conceal their true feelings, indeed.

_My feelings… _Piper irritably sighed, trying to brush the thought away. "You lost control because of me?" she asked before she could stop herself.

A long silence. "I thought you were dead."

Piper shut her eyes, embracing the fact that Alex had cared about her. Alex still cared so much that it scared and excited her at the same time. And she felt bad. She felt guilty, knowing that she shouldn't have any of these thoughts or feelings when she was already engaged.

"I lost control, but it's really my fault. Don't let them tell you otherwise."

Piper couldn't help it. She smiled foolishly, knowing that Alex couldn't see it.

"I'm sorry that I'd tried to lead you astray years ago. But this is where you truly belong, where you'll be safe. Litchfield is your home, Pipes." The words came soft, and they effortlessly stopped Piper's world.

With some difficulties, Piper looked over her shoulder to see the watchful, green eyes behind the pair of black-rimmed glasses. "What about you? Is it your home too?"

Alex shrugged. "I've burnt my bridges one after another. I don't know what it's going to be."

But Piper knew the answer very well. Alex would leave Litchfield. The fact that Mendez found her here was no accident. Alex knew that she wasn't safe here, and the residents probably didn't feel as safe either. "Where are you going to go? Do you have any supports or protections out there? Any relatives? Anyone?"

Alex sighed, but with a jaded smile. "I'm pretty much on my own."

"I think Mr. Bloom can help you."

"Fuck, Pipes. I'm never gonna ask for his money."

Piper sat up, concern in her eyes. "I meant that he might be able to help you with places to rent. But what, Alex? You don't have any money? What happened to your savings? Last time you told me that there were at least two millions."

Piper remembered those luxurious trips and fancy dinners Alex used to take her to. She had some idea of what Alex's work was, involving the syndicate that recruited superheroes, but she never knew where the money came from. She thought it was likely dirty money. And if she was given another chance now, she would have said 'no' to those adventurous offers. She was young, reckless and selfish. She was in love with the wrong person, turning at every wrong turns. Yes, the fact that she was lying in bed, sick as fuck, should have confirmed her that the love they shared was never meant to be. What they had wasn't real.

"I spent all of it. I'm pretty fucked." Alex ran her hand through her hair.

Piper didn't ask any further. She didn't want to think of Alex spending it all on other women.

Then Alex carefully got up. Her breathing was a little ragged, her movements sluggish. Sitting by the edge of the bed, she took a moment to breathe, brushing her hair from her face.

"Where are you going?" Piper didn't like the idea of Alex moving too much, fearing the woman would end up hurting herself again.

"I have to make a phone call. I haven't called mom for over a month. She must be really worried."

"Diane...?" Piper blinked. "Your mom is alive?"

"Of course." Alex looked perplexed.

Piper groaned in exasperation. "What the fuck, Alex!? You told me Diane died the day we broke up. You were crying!"

It took Alex a moment before she slapped her forehead. "Crap."

Piper's jaw dropped. "Who fucking lied about their mother's death? Why the hell did you do that!?"

"I… I didn't want you to leave." Mumbling, Alex scratched the back of her neck.

Blue eyes were wide, Piper shook her head. "I cannot believe this. Alex, were you mad?"

"I was madly in love with you. I couldn't stand you leaving. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied." Alex looked down, biting her bottom lip. Hands balled on her lap, she looked like a child being caught in a naughty act.

Looking away, Piper couldn't help but sigh. She wanted to scold at the woman more, but she just couldn't. "God, Al, what else did you lie to me?"

* * *

It was almost eight in the evening when Alex finally made her way down the corridor, careful with each step. She was wearing a gray jacket over her thin, blue hospital gown. Her white slippers made little sounds as she walked. She felt tired, her body aching, but she had been put to sleep for the whole of last week, and she just wanted to stay awake for as long as she could.

Alex put her hands in her jacket pockets. In truth, she was just afraid to go back to sleep, fearing that she might wake again in the SHU.

'_What else did you lie to me?'_

The question kept echoing in her head. Alex hadn't replied, and Piper hadn't talked to her again for the rest of the day. She had lied so much in her life that she couldn't quite remember what and when. And she didn't expect Piper to believe her now. As dire as it may sound, she felt that it was the way it was supposed to be for them. Whatever feelings that their reunion had provoked were just remnants of their old flame. It was a dying fire. Nothing more.

Alex walked into the empty canteen. Three vending machines stood to the right. A pair of black couches, and a few sets of round tables and chairs were arranged to the left. Two phone booths were at the far back. Luckily, she didn't have to go all the way back to the South Mansion to make a call.

Sitting down at one of the booths, Alex swiped the card. She had borrowed the phone credits from Nicky a week ago. She dialed, and waited.

"Alex!?"

Alex smiled to hear her mother sounding as healthy and fierce as usual. "I'm sorry I disappeared. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine! Are _you_ ok, baby? You had me worried sick!"

Alex glanced over her shoulder, scanning the empty area. "How are you holding up? Do you follow my instructions?"

"My name is Katherine Sumner. No supermarkets. No appointments. No calls. Online orders only. If I must, leaving apartment only after dark, and only for a short amount of time. Never talk to anyone. What is going on?" Diane sounded distraught.

"It's for your safety. I'm sorry that you have to go through this."

"What kind of trouble are you in? This seems to be very serious. Are you really ok? Are you hurt?"

Alex put her glasses up over her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm fine. I can take care of myself. But you must be careful, mom. It can get very dangerous."

"You haven't told me what's going on. Is it the men you worked for? It must be them. What did you do, Alex?" Diane pressed on.

Alex held back a sigh. "I… I screwed up. Look, I'm so, so sorry that this has to happen, but please, just hold on until things clear up. You still got the money, right?"

"What exactly can I spend two millions on? Online grocery shopping? I can't even leave the apartment." Diane growled. "Where did you get so much money anyway? Did you kill people for it?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "My job was good. I was a valuable employee."

"What happened, really, _Alex Vause_? I demand the truth." Diane stressed, letting her daughter know that she was serious.

There was a long moment of silence before tears welled up the green eyes. Alex clutched the phone to her ear with both hands. She was scared for her mom and herself, and now Piper was pulled into this shit too. She was lonely. And she felt guilty for what happened to Fiona. The girl didn't deserve such a fate. She was a bad omen to everyone around her.

"I fell in love with the wrong person, and it got me stuck. I'm stuck in this deep shit, mom, and I don't know how to get out of it." Alex clung to the phone as if she could feel her mom's warmth through it. "I'm not gonna lie to you. It's gonna be a long while before all of this is over. Just... know that I miss you."

"I don't like the sound of this. Alex, please tell me—"

"Hang in there, mom. Everything will be fine. You just have to trust me." Alex steadied her voice, and eventually earned a sigh from her mother.

"I love you," Diane said.

"I love you, too. Take care." Alex hung up. Her hand clung to the receiver for a moment before she let go. Kubra would never let her go, and only now real fears had caught up with her. With Fiona dead, she feared for the worst for her mother.

_It's all my fault._

Alex buried her face in her palms. She didn't even know when she would be able to see her mother again. The future looked bleak now that time was pressing. Not only that Kubra's faction was daring enough to invade Litchfield, she felt that her welcomed stay had soon run out with all the incidents happening around her. She might need to call a few contacts to borrow some money to make another escape plan. She had given most of her savings to Diane, and some to Fiona.

_I guess I could call—_ Alex flinched at the blanket coming down and covering her shoulders. She looked up and saw Piper standing behind her.

"It's cold in the canteen. They don't turn on the heater. And... I thought that your jacket is too thin," Piper said, briefly looking away.

"It's one of a few belongings I left here from years ago. I'll have to live with it." Alex stood up, clutching the edge of the blanket. She smiled earnestly at the blonde. "Thanks. But you really shouldn't be moving, Pipes. Your legs are pretty badly hurt."

Piper made a face as she glanced down at the bandages. "Yeah, they hurt like hell when I walk."

Alex chuckled. She found a grumbling Piper adorable. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and wrapped her arm around Piper's waist. To her surprise, Piper let her.

They walked out into the dark corridor, Piper leaning heavily against Alex for support. They headed back to the temporary female ward on the first floor. They knew that they couldn't afford to ruin more rooms now, or they'd be sleeping in the backyard next time.

"I know that I shouldn't like how it feels to have you so close to me, but I really do." Alex was the first to break the silence that was hanging over their agonizingly slow walk through the corridor. She shouldn't have said it, but she said it in hopes that Piper would break away—push her away, because she wouldn't be able to do that herself. "I even dreamt of you last night," Alex muttered, turning her head to kiss Piper's temple. The blonde didn't react. Blue eyes continued to stare down at the floor. "Or… was it the night before? I don't really know. It was a blur to me. I only remember seeing you in the dream."

"It wasn't a dream." Piper finally spoke. "I asked Nicky to get me into the SHU. I needed to see you." She had then stopped walking, pulling Alex to a halt too.

Alex frowned in disbelief. "You sneaked into the SHU…? Were you crazy!? Do you realize what would happen if they caught you guys—" But she was interrupted by a pull at the blanket, propelling her forward to meet with a pair of warm lips against her own. Their hot breaths mingled, and Piper shuddered against her.

Alex stood still for a moment, studying the heavy, blue gaze that was fixed upon her lips. Piper leaned in closer again. Piper wanted more, and Alex did the stupidest thing she could imagine; she snaked a hand behind Piper's neck, pulled her in and kissed her back equally fervent and needy. Eyes closed, she could hear Piper calling out, whispering her name between their mad, urgent kisses.

It was just like the dreams in those dark, cold nights during the confinement. It was just a dream. Piper had always been a dream to her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

They were just kisses. They weren't supposed to mean much. But Piper knew it was _something_ when she went to bed and dreamt about it, longing for more, waking up this morning, tensed and wet. She was unsure if it was her true feelings or just her needs after being in Litchfield for almost a month without physical intimacy with anyone. She wouldn't know how to keep a calm façade next time she'd phone Larry. She just felt horribly guilty for having dreamt about it.

"I can't do this, Red. I'm sorry. I guess I'm not cut for it."

"Well, then, I guess we'll just have to put her back in the SHU," Red said with her heavy Russian accent, shrugging slightly. She was sitting behind her desk, a cup of coffee in her hand.

Piper mentally groaned. Her legs were so sore, her feet swollen, due to the walk from the infirmary for this meeting. "No, please, it—it wasn't her fault—"

"She posted threats. She is dangerous."

Piper wanted to wipe that smirk off Red's face, but decided against it. "You can't do that to her. Locking her up again will only make it worse. Please, Red, there must be other way."

Red shook her head. "We had a deal. We only released her from the SHU because you promised to keep an eye on her."

"Spy. You wanted me to spy on her. But I don't think it's going to work."

"Why not? You were so confident yesterday that you could keep her powers in check, that she trusts you enough. What happened?" Red spoke over her coffee.

"N—nothing happened. I just think that she's—"

Red's eyes suddenly widened, and she burst out laughing, almost spilling the coffee. "You two kissed!?"

It wasn't really a question, but a statement. Piper blushed hotly as Red continued to laugh. "You read my mind!? I thought you said that you don't read minds unless it's absolutely necessary!"

"But you kept thinking about it over and over again. Your thoughts were very loud. I couldn't help it." Red rested her cheek on her palm, watching Piper with a motherly smile.

Piper looked down for a second. "It was just a slip. Please don't tell anyone about this."

"I would never talk about other people's private thoughts. But surely… you've been working diligently on her."

"Please, stop!" Piper's ears were burning now.

Red chuckled, putting the coffee down on the desk. "Whatever you do, young woman, keep your head clear, or you might end up being used again. Vause is like a snake. She'll end up biting you, not because she hates you, but it's just who she is."

Piper stopped, lost in her thoughts. Seeing how vulnerable Alex had been the past weeks, Piper hardly saw her as a predator anymore. Alex needed help more than ever. "Why don't you read Alex's mind to find out more about the syndicate? That way I don't have to spy on her."

_I just can't be near her. Bad, bad idea_. Piper cursed herself.

"I tried reading her and Mendez while they were drugged, but their memories were very disoriented and fragmented. It's difficult to read when the person is asleep or in an unhealthy state. The clearest reading would be current thoughts like you were having."

"Alex would be awake soon," Piper suggested.

"A trained person like Vause would know instantly if I try to get into her head. And she would distrust us. Now we have a better idea. _You_. You can get closer to her than the rest of us. You two fought for each other. She must have some level of trust on you. It should be an easy job for you."

Piper sat still. She didn't want to imagine how others had perceived her relationship with Alex. It must have looked bad particularly in Howard's eyes. "But I'm new here. Aren't you afraid that I might side with her and betray you instead?"

Red stared at her, and Piper immediately stiffened. "Were you two just good friends, I don't think you need to answer that. Howard and I trust you on this, because we feel that you really want to help Vause. She's too involved with them. Without Litchfield, she's going to get dragged back into whatever mess she had been in, and next time there's no guarantee that she'll make it out alive. Everyone needs some supports, Piper. She needs your help."

_She needs me…? _Piper pondered about Alex's phone conversation with Diane last night. Alex was obviously on a run, and the matter seemed serious enough that she had to relocate her mother for safety reasons. It ached Piper's heart to see Alex with her head down, cornered and beaten. She was torn between her loyalty to Larry and her damning need to keep Alex safe.

* * *

"Why are you smiling like an idiot?"

Alex looked up from her lunch tray on the overbed table. "What?"

"I said you were smiling like an idiot." Nicky, sitting on the edge of Piper's bed, patted her hand over the crumpled, white sheet. "Where did she go?"

"No idea. She's already gone when I woke up."

Nicky narrowed her eyes. "Did something happen last night? Is that why you were smiling like a crazy bitch?"

"No, I wasn't smiling." Alex picked up a biscuit from the plate. "Want some? It's quite good."

"You're lame, Vause. Come on, what happened?"

Alex raised her brows, biting the biscuit. "She kissed me," she said with a mouthful.

Nicky grinned from ear to ear. "Must be one hell of a kiss to get Alex Vause all dreamy! Did you kiss her back?"

"...kind of." Alex thought of the heat their bodies radiating during those crazy moments their lips clashed. It was almost intolerable. It amazed her that they were able to break apart and went to bed without going further, their injuries being a big reason for it.

Nicky laughed, slapping her knee. "Fucker. So what is it? Are you two back together now, or was it just caught in a moment thing?"

"I think she just missed her fiancé," Alex said, trying to convince herself so. She shouldn't get her hopes up. She shouldn't dwell on it.

"Ouch."

Alex just shrugged. "Hey, Jess told me about a girl leaving the South. You think you could get me that room? I don't want to sleep in the lounge when I get out of here. After everything that's happened around me, they'd probably try to murder me in my sleep."

"Jess? Who's Jess?"

"Jessica Wedge."

Nicky went silent for a moment before her eyes twinkled. "Seriously, Vause!? I thought she hated your guts!"

"She still does." Alex smirked.

"All right, man. All right, I give it to ya!" Nicky chuckled. "Yeah, Mercy is getting out tomorrow. It should be vacant, if no one else's snatched it already. I'll talk to Red about the room."

_Red_. Everyone knew how terrifying a mind reader could be. It wasn't their superpower abilities, but one's own secrets that made 'the gift' so threatening. Alex had no doubt that Red must have tried reading her memories, while she was locked up in the SHU. But it would be a silly trip. She was rather certain that Red hadn't gotten much out of it.

"Hey, now, Red is good," Nicky said. She knew what Alex was thinking by just looking at her.

Alex's eyes narrowed in contempt. "She tried to get to my head while I was unconscious. She was all over the place, Nicky. She was fucking everywhere. I can still feel her presence in my dreams last night. I hate it when she does that, walking all over in my fucking head."

Nicky's mouth popped in awe. "You could tell even though you were drugged? Some trainings you got from those people."

"They helped me become stronger than Litchfield would ever make me. They're scared of me." Alex thought back to those early years with Fahri. At times she wondered how different her life would be if she had never joined the syndicate. She had strayed too far to come back now, hadn't she?

Nicky studied her for a long moment. "What did you do? You killed for them?"

Alex had to look away at Nicky's unusually solemn tone. There had been incidents. There had been accidents. Sometimes the line was so blurred that she wasn't sure what to think anymore.

Nicky sighed. "You're home now, Vause. Maybe we should talk."

"About what? They already knew years ago that I worked for Kubra. It's nothing new."

Shaking her head, Nicky chewed her toothpick. "Don't sound so cold. Mr. Bloom was very disappointed when you left. It's a good thing that he still welcomes you back. Not to mention that he let you out of the SHU on the first day he got back from Germany. He's like a father to us all. And you know that, in your heart, that's why you came back."

Alex remained silent. She knew how her friend had always looked up to Red and Howard as parental figures, given Nicky's problems with her mother since young age. It was the case for many residents here as well.

Then the two looked up when Polly entered. "Hey, guys." The petite brunette greeted, and moved to Piper's bedside table.

Alex watched Polly collect the iPad, the gray scarf and the crimson, wool sweater. "Why are you taking them? Where's Piper?"

"She's feeling much better today, so she's moving back to the dorm. I'm here to help her get her things. Her legs are still pretty bad."

"What? So fast, huh?" Nicky raised a brow, biting down the toothpick.

Polly put Piper's belongings into her bag and turned to smirk at Alex. "Get well soon." Then, she walked off, leaving the duo dumbstruck.

Alex leaned back against the pillows. She couldn't believe it. It was only a kiss. Well, kisses. Hot, needy kisses. But it hurt like a bitch that Piper decided to just up and leave. There had been no words exchanged between them since they kissed last night. They had returned to bed, watching each other from their beds until they fell asleep. Last night was like a dream; hectic, exciting but silent. But today the blonde had sent her friend to get her things, clearly not wanting to see Alex or bothering to explain.

"What the fuck was that about? Ah, man. Straight girls. They'll fuck you up every time." Nicky groaned. She then leaped from Piper's bed to sit at Alex's blanketed feet instead. She grabbed the peeled orange from the lunch tray and gobbled up. "But, hey, she really cared about you," she added.

Alex whipped her glasses up to rest atop her head, squinting out the window. "Fuck her."

Nicky leaned over the overbed table. "She begged me to take her to the SHU just to see you. I'd never dare, if she didn't look like she was about to have a nervous breakdown. She didn't even think of the consequences if she were caught, which by the way, she was."

Alex stopped. "... She was caught?"

"Yeah, but you know, being Mr. Bloom's daughter-in-law has its perks. She also got me off the hook!"

"Howard is not yet her father-in-law." Alex responded too fast for her own liking, and she had to look away. She groaned as she threw her head back, staring up at the ceiling. "Fuck. Why am I the only person who got punished around here?"

Nicky laughed, but her gaze was searching. "Because you left us, Vause. Don't ever do that again."

Alex inwardly sighed. _I wish_.

* * *

"Marry me."

The phone pressed to her right ear, Piper briefly shut her eyes. Her cast, left arm suddenly felt very itchy. "Larry, I'm sure you know that this isn't a good time. We've been over this."

"But you've been attacked. You almost died, Piper! You almost died on that island, and I couldn't even go see you! It's like you don't even exist anymore. I can't reach you." Larry heavily sighed into the phone. "I can't do this. I don't want to lose you... Do you?"

Piper's grip on the phone tightened. No, she didn't want to change. She didn't want to lose herself. She missed the extravagant parties. She missed her friends and their harmless gossips. Their brunches and yoga classes. Just by hearing Larry's voice, the days of her ordinary life came rushing to her. Those lively, carefree days when she never got hurt, or hurt anyone.

But then there was another world beyond the life she had led. And it was as real as it was going to get. It was Litchfield and its people. It was something Larry would never be a part of—a life even her own family would never understand.

"I don't know how to explain it. I'm… I guess you're right. I'm in another world completely. There've been really scary situations here, but at the end of the day they're people... like me. And I am like them. It's gonna sound crazy, but… I think I truly belong here."

Larry scoffed in disbelief. "You've been there for only about a month, Piper. You're saying that you know them more than me? That you connect with them more than me? That is ridiculous! Is this why you don't want to get married now? No. No, I don't—no, I don't buy it. Is... Is there someone else, Piper?"

The thought of the kisses last night abruptly hit her, and Piper felt a huge pang of guilt hanging over her head. "Larry… No, that's not what I meant," Piper said, looking out the window to the beautiful view of sunset in the front yard of the North. Her gaze trailed to the small building next to the Gym; the infirmary, first floor. Where had her heart gone when she was stuck in a telephone booth, discussing her uncertain future?

Piper took a deep breath in and continued. Her voice was tired, her mind exhausted. "Larry, I'm a freak. The things that I've done here, you'd be terrified to know. If you get to see the people here, you'd be scared too. I don't think you're going to like it. Not at all. You didn't sign up for this. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not scared of you, Piper. Never. I love you, you know that." His tone softened, and Piper bit her bottom lip. "You'll leave that place one day. You can't live there forever."

"Some people do."

"Do you—" Larry groaned in frustration. "Do you still love me?"

Piper frowned. "What are you talking about? Of course, I do."

"Then take the ferry tomorrow! We'll fly to Vegas the next flight available. I don't even care about the ceremony or—or the guests now. Just the two of us."

Rocking on her chair, Piper mentally slapped herself in the face. "God, I'm not going to repeat myself again. I'm not allowed to leave the island. If you really want our wedding to go through, maybe you should talk to your dad about it."

"That's the idea! He's leaving Germany today. So I'll be able to catch him tomorrow sometimes in the afternoon, I guess. I'm gonna have a serious talk with him, and I'll tell you later how it goes."

"Yeah… yeah, ok," Piper muttered.

It appeared that Howard's family didn't know that he'd been back for at least two days now. Piper wondered how many more things Howard had been keeping from his family all these years. She wondered if she would have to keep things from Larry too after they married. In just a little less than a month here, she already felt that she'd experienced things that she'd never be able to share with him.

* * *

The temporary female ward was empty tonight. Ms. Claudette took a few days leave for business outside of Litchfield. Daya was supposed to be on watch tonight, but Alex insisted that she'd be fine, letting the nurse go on a date with Bennett. It was Nicky again who had sneaked them out of the island. When Lorna asked to tag along, they then decided to go on a double date. Alex could only silently grumble at her misfortune. She was still too ill to leave, and the thought of Piper avoiding her since morning just pissed her off.

The other patients had already moved back to their dorms. There were some male patients left, but they were upstairs. It was awfully quiet on the first floor.

_Fuck it._

Alex pulled open the drawer and fished out a pack of cigarettes Nicky had left this afternoon. Grabbing the lighter, she put on her gray jacket and made her way out of the building. Quickly, she found an empty bench some distance away from the entrance.

Alex exhaled the first puff, and sighed in content. She had quit smoking twice during the past six years, but always gave in to cravings. She took another puff, and exhaled the plume of smoke up, staring at the starry sky. It was a very clear night, the air getting colder. It was almost December.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?"

Alex paused. She remembered the voice without having to turn around to see who it was. "It is," she mumbled.

Howard was wearing a blue sweater and a pair of khakis. He sat down next to her, smoking his pipe. Alex had returned to Litchfield while Howard was still away in Germany. It was the first time they had the chance to meet properly.

"Your return had taken me by great surprise. I am still undecided how to feel about it. What to do, or how to deal with you," Howard said. "You can imagine how shocked and displeased some were. Sometimes I am convinced that your true powers is to confuse and damn people."

Alex took another drag. "I'm not surprised that Healy is still at it. Some people don't ever change. Well… thanks for getting me out of the SHU."

Howard kept quiet for a moment. "Healy went too far, yes. And I wouldn't want to see an old friend locked up in there. It was a terrible thing to witness."

Alex raised a brow. "We're still friends after all the shit that went down?"

"Of course, or else I'd have Healy throw you out of Litchfield on your first day back. Your optimism has always intrigued me." Howard looked the other way. "I assume that you're in trouble. Is your mother safe?"

Alex stiffened at the mention of Diane.

Howard turned to look at her, his gaze deadly serious. "If something happens to her, Alex, I will personally—"

"Fuck you. You have no rights." Alex took in the last drag and stabbed the cigarette into the ground. "I repaid every cent for her surgeries. You have no rights to even ask about her now." She lit up another cigarette and let out an angry puff of smoke.

"It was never about the money."

"It was to me. To _us_."

Howard adjusted his glasses a little. "I understand how you feel, but what Diane and I had—"

"You had nothing. She never loved you. Don't you get it? And she'd have hated you if she knew what you'd done."

"Might I remind you that you consented? And if you dare telling your mother otherwise, I swear that you'd regret it." Howard spoke so calmly that it hardly sounded like a threat, but Alex knew this man better than most people out there. She kept her cool face and the steady tone of voice, but her muscles tensed, readying to retreat if needed. Given her frail condition, some distance away from him would make a safer ground for her. Her lightning might not come fast enough when he got angry.

"I regretted ever accepting your help. You specifically asked me to join his faction as a way to repay the debts. 'For Litchfield'. 'For your people'. Remember? I was nineteen, and stupid enough, I did it. But I repaid you in cash too. So you don't get to fucking talk about my mom anymore. Fuck you."

Howard watched her for a long moment, and his contemplative gaze unnerved her. Alex had to look away, taking in another drag. "You probably won't believe anything I say now, but I want you to know that there hasn't been a day that I did not regret sending you away. I miscalculated it, and we lost you… for a long time." He then stood up, puffing out smoke from his pipe. "I shouldn't expect you to ever accept what Diane and I had. It's terribly unfair to ask of you. For that, I am truly sorry. If you… if there is anything that I can be of help, please do not hesitate to come to me. I'll never ask anything from you in return again. Stay safe... and welcome home, Alex."

Alex only looked up again when Howard walked away, disappearing into the dark, narrow path leading to the North Mansion. It took her by surprise that Howard actually wanted her to stay. She had always been bitterly curious about her mother's relationship with Howard. She had a vague idea of what it was, but had never dared to ask for details. It'd hurt too much—too deep.

_Welcome home._ Howard's words echoed in her head, but Alex wasn't sure if Litchfield was still the home she once had.

Alex gazed up at the North's second floor, searching for the window at the end of its east wing. She spotted it. The room was largely dark, partially lit by moonlight. But there was a set of shadowy figure moving about the window. The figure then had stopped moving, standing facing the moon. Alex was certain then that it was staring back at her, watching her from the dark.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Two weeks after her return to Litchfield, there was finally a peaceful sense of homecoming for Alex. With a black bag in one hand, she entered the vacant room last occupied by a former resident, Mercy. Unlike the rooms in the North, rooms in the South were much smaller with enough space for only a single bed and a set of desk and chair. Dusty, cracked, narrow walls that could make one goes claustrophobic, much like the SHU, but better only with a tall window provided.

Alex wasn't complaining. She must admitted that she had missed this place more than she had imagined. Even with the damp air and tiny space. The loud, rude chatters in the graffiti-walled hallways. She put her bag, which contained some clothes and other personal belongings, down on the floor, and sat down on the creaky bed. She had stayed in the infirmary for the past week, waiting until Red finally gave her Mercy's room. It was far from the fancy apartment she used to rent, but she was just grateful for the privacy right now. At least she didn't have to sleep in a public place like the lounge or staying in the infirmary like a homeless.

Lorna followed Alex into the room, a set of creamy-colored sheets and a folded blanket in her hands. "You might wanna change the bed sheet and pillowcases. Here they are, and my spare blanket for you. Not brand new, but washed and clean. Nicky told me to prepare them for you when you move in."

Alex got up to take them from Lorna. "Thanks. Really appreciate it." She smiled. Lorna had been very kind and sweet to her.

"Nicky and I will go out for a dinner tonight. Would you like to come with us?" Lorna asked.

"I'll be fine. Don't wanna be the third wheel." Chortling, Alex began to pull the old bed sheet off.

"You can bring Wedge with us. She's been visiting you every day at the infirmary. A double date is cool." Lorna smiled knowingly, leaning against the doorframe.

Alex carefully bent over the bed and spread the new bed sheet over it. Her thoughts instead mulled over a certain blonde who hadn't bothered to visit her at all during the past week. Why was Piper so threatened by their kisses that the woman had literally run away? It wasn't the first time they had kissed. Far from it. But Alex knew better to resign. Perhaps it would be unfair to expect Piper to be the same, seeing as the woman was now committed in a serious relationship.

Alex sighed. "Yeah, I'll ask. I don't think she's gonna come though. I'll let you know later. I'm going back to trainings today, thanks to Red. She doesn't think that I'm in control of my powers after the incident. Damn. I'll be like the oldest student in there." She grumbled as she changed the pillowcases.

Lorna smiled sweetly. "Nicky still goes. I do, sometimes. A lot of people do, old and new. Our powers can go wonky just about any day, so we have to keep it in check." She knocked on the wall lightly and walked away. "Catch ya later, Vause."

Alex quietly nodded. She was feeling much better now even though she still needed to take some medications. But the exhaustion persisted. She hadn't much sleep at all, knowing that she wasn't safe anywhere. Fiona's death and Mendez's attack had deeply shaken her. She had been sleeping with one eye open, and dedicated all three phone calls allowed per day to her mother. She would do everything to keep Diane safe. Anything.

* * *

"You're asking me out?" Jessica raised a brow, her slender arms across her chest. "On a double date with that disgusting Nichols and her psychotic, little slut? You're kidding, Alex."

Inside the large Gym 1, four lines were formed, each with an eighteen-foot tall robot as their target. Alex and Jessica were queuing in the second line. They were in their blue jumpsuits for trainings. Jessica faked an ice incident during dinner yesterday, giving her a sound reason to attend trainings today without her friends growing more suspicious. Perhaps they were already suspicious, but it wasn't as if Jessica could help it.

"Nicky is my friend. Watch your mouth. And Lorna is a sweet girl."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "That bitch keeps saying that she's dating Christopher, while in fact she's imagining things. Chris is my friend. He told me everything. He said that she's absolutely insane. A stalker! You better be careful, Alex. Don't surround yourself with crazy bitches."

Alex just shrugged, not really interested in the topic. "I'll take it as a 'no' then." She secretly moped about having dinner alone again. She just wasn't used to being single at all.

"I cannot be seen with those losers! My friends will question me!" Jessica hissed at Alex's ear, keeping her voice low.

"Well, Jess, you've been calling me a loser my whole life, and have only stopped two weeks ago," Alex droned.

"Why can't we just go together, just the two of us?" Jessica moved in closer, if that was possible. Her eyes narrowed. Her lips parted as she gazed hungrily at Alex's lips.

Alex stared back at Jessica, amused by her audacity. The woman wasn't even subtle, or care to be anymore. Whatever happened to Richard, Jessica's boyfriend, Alex hadn't heard her mention him again since that night.

"We can't leave at night. No ferry," Alex stated matter-of-factly. Nicky earned extra money for being the only transportation mean available in Litchfield other than the ferry. There used to be some flyers around, but the people with those abilities were usually harmless, and they could leave the island much faster.

"My room then," Jessica suggested.

Alex chuckled. Jessica was real hungry. "Don't you North people have roommates?"

"Yours?" Jessica breathed. "You got your room now, don't you?"

"Don't think you can stand the room in the South. All the smell and stuff."

Jessica made a face. "You don't want me." Her accusing tone had Alex's full attention.

"Of course, I do." Alex lightly groaned. She hadn't had sex for over three months, stressed out over the escape plans for both her mother and herself. The money transfers she had to make. Planning and finding a safe place for Diane. Trying not to get her boss suspicious, or getting herself killed too soon. Alex had finally found a bit of peaceful time now, and she was horny as hell. "But I don't want you to come to my room and then start complaining, Jess. That'd be such a big turn off."

"I'll shut up, I promise. Tonight?" Jessica edged closer to the taller woman again, and their faces nearly brushed.

"Next!"

Both Alex and Jessica flinched at the shout. Alex then stepped up pass the red line taped on the gym floor, a sort of safety line. She stood about twenty meters from the rusty robot. Number 48 was painted on its left chest alongside the name, 'Falcon'.

Falcon raised his left hand, and Alex readily shot a small bolt of lightning at his red-painted palm. It was to demonstrate her controls and gauges over her powers. How precise her hits were. How hard it had hit. Alex had done it numerous time before.

Then Falcon started the second phrase to test the lightning striker's endurance. To her own disappointment, Alex began to miss targets the longer she spent her powers. Her strength declined only fifteen minutes in, a result from her injuries and the continual lack of sleep. She was slightly out of breath, and failed to keep up with Falcon's rapid body movements. Instead of hitting the target on his chest, she sent a blue bolt at his head. The shot proved to be way too strong, causing Falcon's head to snap. The robot froze, stuttered, and then shut down.

"Enough for today, Vause. 56 out of 100. Come in again tomorrow," Bennett said, holding a chart in his hand.

"56? Are you fucking kidding me?" Alex wiped the sweat sheen off her forehead with the back of her hand. She knew that she had been slacking off in powers-control practices during the past few years, largely due to a love life problem, which she could never quite know how to solve. But the score was simply humiliating for an old resident like her.

Bennett dutifully reread the chart. "86 hits, 105 missed. Your speed was at 72.5%, which was not bad, considering your health. Your score was drastically cut due to your last hit at Falcon's face, causing him to malfunction. If he were a real, actual human, his face would have been blown out completely." He cleared his throat. "But we all know that you've been exhausted. Don't take it personally."

At Jessica's giggle, Alex turned to glare at her. Jessica could never quite drop their childhood antics, Alex being the butt of the joke as usual.

Jessica moved besides Alex, their shoulders brushing. "I'll show you how it's done... tonight," she whispered, her voice thick with desires.

Alex smirked and walked off the line.

* * *

"Concentrate!"

Red's scold pulled Piper's attention back to the task at hand. She looked away from the thick, fiberglass windows, which revealed the vast assembly of Gym 1. Piper and Red were occupying a smaller room, separated from everyone else. It was her first day back at trainings.

"I'm sorry. I'll try again." Piper's gaze fell to the floor, where several hundreds of empty, tin cans were scattered around Red's feet. Her mind had wandered off, and those cans must have hit the instructor. Red was glaring at her, and rightly so.

Her left arm still cast, Piper was in a gray hoodie and a pair of sweaty pants. She was standing in the middle of the room, staring down at the cans with full concentration. Slowly and carefully, those cans began to gather, roll up to their standing positions, and form up to a six-row wall of cans. Neatly. Just as Red had instructed.

Red nodded approvingly. "Good."

Piper smiled in relief. Sometimes moving a small object could be more frustrating than moving a cruise liner. But what appeared to frustrate her most easily had proven to be a certain brunette amidst the Gym 1 crowd.

_Why is Alex here...? And Wedge!?_ Piper swore under her breath at the thought of how close the two women were standing together.

"When will I get to train with other people?" Piper asked as she continued to the next stage. The wall of cans began to lift off the ground, steadily at first, but a few eventually slipped and fell. Piper flinched at the mistake, and the wall descended fast at her loss of concentration.

"Don't stop. Keep going," Red commanded calmly.

The wobbly wall stopped just a few inches above the ground, several more cans falling off. The clinks resonated the word 'mistake' ten times louder than Piper would have liked.

"Don't pick them up just yet. You're doing fine. Don't stop. Concentrate on the bigger picture," Red continued.

Piper nodded as she carefully moved the wall of cans to other side of the room. "When… when will I get to train with the others?" She repeated the question.

"When you learn to concentrate on your powers instead of your girlfriend."

Piper froze, and half of the wall fell tumbling to the ground. She gulped. Now she was just holding the remaining of the wall in midair, not daring to even move it. "She is not my girlfriend."

Red sighed. "You did not honor your words to us. There has been no progress on your part."

"You've been spying on me?" Piper frowned. "Well, I… I just need some times to, you know, let things go back to normal for a bit, or she might get suspicious." She glanced out the window again, watching Alex testing her powers against the robot. "Why is she here already? She still looks ill... Yeah, I heard that she got a room in the South now. But why is Wedge here? Why is she here? I mean, aren't these trainings are for newbies? She must—"

Red scratched her chin, lazily watching Piper watch Alex. "If you are so determined to glance at her only from the distance, then maybe I should acquire Wedge as our spy instead."

"I know." Piper snapped. She turned her attention back to the floating cans. "I'm working on it."

* * *

Larry sat edgily at the dining table, glancing at Howard as he was having a bowl of soup. Amy went about between the kitchen and the table, serving them foods. His father had been very busy the past week, and Larry only had the chance to catch him now.

"Aren't you going to say something? I have only half an hour before I take off again," Howard said, holding the soup spoon in one hand.

Larry nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Yeah, I should probably get to it. I, uh… we… umm… I'm getting married. I'm marrying Piper." His parents stopped whatever they were doing, and just stared at him. "That's the longest time you both have been silent."

"What's the hurry? She's still in training. Not only that she hasn't made much progress on her powers control, she's just got into trouble one after another. I know that it isn't all her fault, but the truth is that it's an insane life for 'gifted' people. She needs time."

"I—I know, dad. But, I mean, can you let her come home for a day, so we can get married? Then she can go back to Litchfield for more trainings. Just one day. That's all we need." Larry smiled nervously.

Amy glanced worriedly at her husband, and then smiled at her son. "Why, Larry? She's likely to stay in Litchfield for a year or more. For our—her safety. Everyone's safety. Lord knows she might not be the same person anymore when she gets out. Don't you want to wait and see if you're still compatible by then?"

"A—a year or more?" Larry frowned at his father. "You told me that it was going to take half a year at best."

"I never said that for her case. I said that some people had gone through the trainings and completed their requirements in just a few months. I was, and still am, convinced that, in Piper's case, it will take quite a while," Howard explained.

Larry felt his cheeks hot. He got up from his chair, clenching his fists. "You can't do this to her. She's not a criminal. You have to let her out."

"She isn't incarcerated, Larry. She willingly submitted herself to Litchfield's trainings, and rules are rules. She almost got her brother killed, son. She knew that she needed help, and you know that, too." Howard put his spoon down, and clasped his hands across his stomach as he leaned back in his chair. "What's troubling you? What happened?"

Larry sighed as he reluctantly took the seat again. "It's… I don't know what it is, but It's been only a month, and she already seems… distant."

"What makes you think so?"

Larry looked away from his father's scrutinizing gaze. "Well, uh… she forgot to call sometimes, and… and she didn't seem to be very enthusiastic when I proposed to get married as soon as possible. It seemed almost like that she didn't want to… that she didn't want to leave the island. Like she's forgetting her life outside of Litchfield."

"It's a hard life for gifted people, Larry. She needs time to adjust—"

"I don't think that was it. I feel like—like she's been distracted. I think that... maybe she's met someone new." Larry sternly gestured at nothing in particular. "She calls me twice a day, but sometimes it feels like she wasn't really there. Her attention waned really fast. I'm losing her. Fuck, I'm losing her, dad."

"I can imagine that it's been tough for her since Alex Vause has recently returned to Litchfield as well. Piper is still new to all of this, and having Vause around her doesn't really help—"

"Wait. Wait, what? Vause? You mean 'Alex Vause'? What—no. Why didn't Piper tell me?" Larry's voice was slightly shaken, overwhelmed by anger and fears. "Why is she there? Wasn't she the one who deliberately triggered Piper's powers? You said she worked for the bad guys. Why didn't you arrest her, and…" He stopped take a deep breath in. "I don't know, send her to a government division or something? Put her away. Just put her away. Why did you shelter her, not to mention letting her hang around Piper?" He growled in frustration, clenching his fists.

"There are things that you may not understand about our kind. We're different. A rare minority. We can't afford to have too many enemies. We must forgive or forget when we can."

Larry felt his blood boil. "Forgive? After what she did to Piper? She endangered Piper's life! She's a very dangerous woman!"

"So is Piper." Larry halted at the words, and the old man sighed. "I think that Piper is learning of that fact too. It's a very lonely world for people like us."

"But you still have Ma. You have me. You can have a normal family. Piper can be just like you. She has to remember that," Larry said, trying his best to keep his voice steady. He just watched as Howard looked away in silence.

_Lies._

So many years of lies that his father had kept from his family. Could it be different for Piper and him? He somehow dreaded what was waiting ahead of their future. Would Piper be the same girl he once knew? Would she lie to him like his father did? But she did lie, didn't she? She had kept her powers secret for years before Cal incident.

_More lies._

Larry eventually looked away, and there were no more words exchanged between them.

* * *

Piper shifted on her bed, trying to find a more comfortable pose. It was almost midnight, but she was wide awake. She'd been calling Larry a few times today, but he didn't pick up the phone. She couldn't help but worry if something terrible had happened. She couldn't reach Howard either. The man wasn't in Litchfield today.

_Did I say something wrong? Did I upset him somehow?_

The thought of the proposal came across her mind. Larry had sounded very serious, and was skeptical when she didn't seem to be equally enthusiastic about it. She wouldn't know what had gotten into her. A stable life with him was what she wanted, but for some reason Litchfield had started to become fast her second home. A new life she had never thought that she would be leading, and somehow what was outside of Litchfield started to feel 'detached'. She was scared of what she would become, but she knew that it was inevitable.

Piper lied flat on her back again, puffing out a breath as her mind still processed wildly. For all the reasons that she knew she should not feel, she was glad to have Alex around. At least there was a familiar face she could turn to on this strange island.

_No. No, Alex is… she's a wrong idea. Wrong. Just wrong…_

Piper held her breath as the thought rushed through her mind over and over again. But it was Alex. It was her firm, yet gentle embraces. Her careless smirks. Her sometimes warm, even shy, reluctant smiles. Her contemplative, piercing gazes, and her husky, needy whispers. Alex was everything Piper had wanted, and it destroyed her inside to realize how wrong of a choice Alex was.

_Fuck…_

Before Piper could stop herself, she quietly got out of bed. She put on a black coat over her silky, blue nightgown. She slipped out of the room, careful not to wake her roommate. Across the vast yards, she headed towards the South. She knew that Healy had banned her from entering the South, but hopefully no one would notice her in the dark at this late hour into the night. Nicky had told her about Alex's room, and Piper moved around to the back of the building, heading to the designated room. There it was, the room was on the second floor, third window from the right. It was dimly lit with possibly just a desk lamp. Its curtains were pulled down, leaving a gap to reveal some space inside.

_She's still awake._

Piper bent down and grabbed a gravel off the ground. She straightened up again, arching her right arm for a throw. But she froze upon seeing two figures moving about inside the room. Their bodies pressed, their hands roaming over each other's faces, shoulders and backs. Their lips connected, then parted in a breathy rush, and connected again in a heated clash. Slender hands moved through the wavy, blonde locks. Those slim shoulders. That shadowed face. Piper knew who Alex was kissing, having and holding instead of her tonight. It shouldn't have mattered anymore after all these years, but it still stalled Piper somehow. The gravel sat still in her cold palm. Remarkably, she hadn't thrown it at the window, interrupting whatever that was going on in that room. She hadn't the time to process what she wanted to believe—to feel. She hadn't the strength to look away.

_Loss._

All Piper saw was the wrong choice she would have made if she had stayed with Alex. It would be the loss of a perfect life that she could have with Larry. She should feel relieved now. She should be glad that she had made the right choice. Yet she was still reluctant to marry him. She wondered why. She knew that it would hurt to know, yet it would hurt not knowing either. Defeated with her inability to come up with a satisfying answer, she let the gravel slip from her grasp, and quietly walked away.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Piper was lying on her bed, the back of her right hand over her forehead. She had been staring at the ceiling for hours on end. She had tried to fall asleep, but every time she was at the edge of slumber, images of Alex with Jessica kept pulling her back. It was tormenting enough to have to witness it with her own eyes, and the fact that Alex had kissed her back that night in the infirmary had probably meant nothing. She knew that she had been acting distant with Alex, cold even, and that it was unfair to expect anything more from Alex. But a part of her couldn't help but wonder if Alex had easily moved on (just like last night) after their breakup four years ago. Even though Piper had been the one to leave, she had been a wreck, and had only hidden her heartbreak through various rebounds.

Piper tore her gaze from the white plane, and looked out the window. Soft pool of morning light permeated into the room through the gap between the curtains. She stared, trying to find solace in the brightness outside. She let out a tired sigh, trying to make amends with her battered mind. She was exhausted. She felt like she had been at the end of a long, resentful road for quite some time now, and Litchfield had presented itself as the new path for her. Perhaps she should stop mulling over the past and look to the future now.

"Haven't slept?"

Piper flinched, and turned to her roommate. "Hey..."

Polly yawned, but with a smile on her face. "I heard you left last night. But you returned quickly. Didn't look too pleased."

Piper's eyes widened. "Wow, you saw a lot in the dark."

Polly got up to lean back down on her elbows, her brown head messy. "They say love blinds you, but the others can see clearly."

Piper had to smile back at her roommate. "I think I can see pretty clearly now."

* * *

_Lying on her side, Piper watched Alex moan a little in her sleep. Blue gaze trailed along the sleeping woman's full lips down to her neck, to the alabaster skin of her bare shoulder and chest. It was their usual morning with Piper waking up first, watching the taller woman sleep._

_Smiling, Piper softly brushed Alex's hair off the woman's face. They had been together for almost a year now, but she never got tired of looking at Alex. Of course, Alex oozed raw sexuality and excitement. She thrilled Piper. The sex was amazing, filled with passion. The trips, parties and dinners were extravagant. But it had become something more than superficial interests for Piper. Stripped away the carnal desires and adventures abroad, Piper would no less cherish the quiet, mundane moments in the apartment with Alex, in their old, comfy clothes, their hair messy, their faces without makeup. She would get up first and get their breakfasts. Alex would later clean up, tidying their place. Piper would play games, and Alex would catch up on her books. Like how they both knew that it was 2 sugars for Alex, 3 for Piper. How Alex would know which pieces of Piper's clothes to wash first and on what occasions her blonde girlfriend would like to wear them. Alex might have a wild, mysterious impression, but she had always surprised Piper with her attention to details. She always made Piper feel loved and cared for. It all felt so natural to Piper somehow as if it was meant to be. The fact that she could feel such contentment with the simplest things, being able to completely share her life with someone else did startle her. It simply scared her; Piper knew then that she had fallen so deeply in love like she never had before._

_Alex was stirred, groaning as she turned to the other side. Piper knew that it was time to get up and get breakfast for them both. She kicked the blanket and shot out of bed. She went for a quick shower, put on her clothes and pulled her hair up into a loose bun. She made a short trip to 'Queens Comfort' six blocks away to get their brunches._

_"Hey, Piper!" Leanne, the pimply-faced waitress, greeted her. "The usual?"_

_"Yes, please." Piper stood by the counter, smiling widely. Her blue eyes deep and vibrant. Her smile as bright as the sun._

_Leanne shouted out the orders at the back door, and came out to the counter again. She eyed Piper up and down. "You and Vause seem pretty serious. It's been months."_

_"Almost a year now." Piper tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. She blushed that someone had taken notice. But then she wasn't so sure about the hint at Alex's previous relationships. She had asked, but never gotten full details out of her girlfriend. From what she had gathered, Alex had never been committed before her._

_"A year!? You really are something! She's definitely into you! What's your secrets?" Leanne giggled. "Other girls never lasted more than a month or two. You know how Vause is."_

_Piper paused. "Umm, no, I don't. She rarely mentioned it."_

_"Vause has dated tons of girls! But why not, right? Look at her." Leanne then bent over across the counter, whispering, "But sometimes people say that it's part of her job."_

_Piper raised a brow. "Her job?"_

_"Yeah, that mysterious, dusky gentleman is supposed to be her boss or something, right? What's his name again? They say that he tells her who to go with. Nobody knows what for, or why. Are you one of those girls?" Leanne giggled again. "I guess not. It's been a year, so you must have been the real thing!"_

Fahri.

_Piper felt her body go cold. What the hell was that about? Was it some sort of business? A scheme? As crazy as it sounded, Piper had noticed a bizarre relationship between Alex and Fahri. There was just something Piper could never put a finger on it. Perhaps it was Alex's unquestioned trust in him; how he had absolute control over her. It was unsettling to see 'Alex Vause' in such a vulnerable position, but Piper wasn't sure if Alex realized how defenseless she truly was. The other girls...? Piper's heart grew heavy as grim thoughts roamed through her mind._

_After twenty-five minutes wait, the meals were packed in white paper bags, ready. Piper paid in cash, took the foods and left. Her walk back to the apartment felt like hours, her ankles feeling like cuffed with lead. She knew that she shouldn't believe a mere stranger's words over her girlfriend's, but all things concerning Fahri had begun to outweigh Alex's 'I love you'. Alex would leave at ungodly hours as soon as Fahri called, and never bothered explaining why, expecting Piper to just be understanding and forget about it. Alex had begun to leave on trips without taking Piper with her, and never bothered explaining. Piper had been told that it was just 'part of the job'. Piper had complied so far, because she loved Alex, fearing that her incessant inquisitions would bore her lover. But now that a stranger like Leanne had remarked about her true status with Alex Vause, the doubts she had had started to flood her mind._

_"I'm back," Piper announced as she opened the door to their apartment. She walked in, closed the door and kicked off her shoes. She made her way to the kitchen counter and put the food bags on it. Leaning over the counter, she could see Alex moving across the bed, naked, pushing the blanket off her. The phone in her hand, Alex hadn't acknowledged Piper's presence, but talked for a bit longer and then hung up. Alex punched in a few buttons and carelessly tossed the phone onto the bed before walking into the bathroom._

_When Piper heard the shower running, she made her way to the bed, and picked up Alex's phone. She logged in and checked the call log, but halted at the empty screen. Slowly, she put the phone back on the bed, and turned to watch the shadowy figure in the shower behind the tinted glass door. Endless questions began to overwhelm her. After a year together, there was still no telling just how real Alex was to her-how real they were to each other._

* * *

Alex groaned as her heavy eyelids slid open. Bright pool of light streamed through the gap between the curtains. She squinted as she fumbled for her glasses on the desk next to the bed. Naked, she pulled the blanket up from her waist to her chest. It was quite cold in the morning.

"Ow..." Alex grumbled at the scratches Jessica had left last night. The blonde's thirst was insatiable, although it had more than made up for Alex's few months of sexual frustrations. She was sore all over, her wounds still somewhat tender, and Jessica hadn't been gentle at all. She just hoped that they hadn't made too much noises to disturb the rooms adjacent to hers.

"Vause! Wake up...! Vause, it's almost nine!"

Alex frowned at the knocks on the door. It was Nicky. "Yeah... yeah, I'm up!" She put on her crumpled shirt from last night, and sighed. Fortunately Jessica had already left, presumably in the early morning hour.

* * *

After finishing her morning business, Alex left the South with Nicky. They both were in training jumpsuits, heading out to the Study. They were supposed to have a small birthday party for Tricia. Stalking across the yard together, they looked at the group of residents playing soccer.

"So how was last night?" Nicky nudged Alex with her elbow.

Alex shrugged. "It sucks to eat alone."

"Oh, come on. Morello dropped by your room before going to bed, and she said that she heard noises. Wedge or Chapman?"

"Lorna checked up on me? You guys think I'm six years old or something?" Alex rolled her eyes.

"Some other chick? Sister Ingall?"

Alex chortled. "Shut up."

"We check on you, because you've just moved back. A lot of current residents don't know who you are. And you've just got into troubles. Serious ones, too. You brought in an enemy from the outside. I wouldn't be surprised at all if some would try anything to get you out of Litchfield, dead or alive."

Alex nodded. "I'm aware of the possibility."

"So who was it? Wedge, right?" Nicky grinned. "I can't believe that bitch—ouch!" She yelped in pain, pressing her palm to her left cheek, where it had been hit by the soccer ball. A soccer player shouted out an apology as he ran to retrieve the ball.

"Oh, not this fucker." Nicky cursed as she teleported herself to the ball, and kicked it hard before the tall man could grasp it. The ball volleyed, and the man looked up, frowning in confusion. Arms across her chest, Nicky raised her brows mockingly as if to challenge him.

"I already said, 'sorry'. That wasn't necessary," Christopher said through his gritted teeth.

"Nicky," Alex called out for her friend, her gaze weary. She didn't like where this was going.

Nicky glowered at Christopher. "Apology not accepted."

Alex watched in horror as Nicky used her powers to deliver surprise attacks at Christopher, who seemed powerless to evade the punches. His friends started yelling and ran towards them. From the look on those people's faces, surely they were not coming to stop the fight, but joining.

"Nicky! Let's go!" Alex looked left and right as her feisty friend whooshed from one spot to another. "Nicky, they're coming—ah!" Suddenly Alex swayed, and dropped to her knees, tightly clutching her arms. Sharp, nasty chills ran down her spine, and pain began to bite every inch of her skin. She trembled uncontrollably, her quivering lips turning purple. It felt as though her life energy had been depleted at an alarming rate. She could barely move a muscle now.

Nicky had stopped teleporting, simply disappeared. Christopher now took a moment to breathe, glaring down at Alex. Seeing the anger in his eyes, Alex knew that it was him who emanated the deadly air, effectively crippling her. It must have meant for Nicky, but it would have affected anyone within his proximity.

Curled up on the ground, Alex watched as his friends approached. _Fuck. I'm so fucked._

Snarling, they grabbed and pulled Alex up by the collar. A knuckle landed at her right cheek, sending her glasses off. She could hear the cracks as one of the guys must have stepped on them in the chaos. Rough, angry hands kept pulling her, while a hand snaked up to her neck and strangled her. She couldn't see who was doing what now, but it didn't really matter. She would be expelled if she used her powers outside of trainings, but there was no stopping. They were going to seriously harm her, or worse, kill her. Out of panic, electric blue currents flashed a few times at her fingertips. The men instantly shouted out warnings to one another. Some had quickly stepping away from Alex, but a few others were still relentless, kicking at her. Before she could stop herself, bolts of lightning shot out of her hands. However, the men were forcibly swept off their feet. They rolled onto the ground like useless logs before the lightning bolts could strike them. Confused, Alex looked up and saw a blonde-haired figure running towards her. Her vision was blurry, but she could tell who it was by a mile away.

"Alex!" Piper ran across the yard and came to kneel by Alex's side. "Alex, are you all right!? What's going on here—ah…! What the—" Piper suddenly stalled as her breath was caught in her throat. Shivering, she rubbed one hand over her arm, her nails digging into her skin.

Sitting up, Alex turned to look at Christopher, noting that he had already gotten up from the ground. Rage erupted within her, realizing what he was doing. Fiery heat grew on her fists, blue licking up her arms. The bolt of lightning blasted down at Christopher, but missed when he was yet again propelled to the side, the lightning strike leaving deep trenches in the ground where he had just been.

Alex turned to snarl at Piper. "What are you doing!? He hurt you!"

"… can't... let you do that. Red… won't let you get away with it. They'll… put you back... in the SHU…" Piper hugged herself. Her face was drained of all colors, her lips pale and her eyes bloodshot.

From the corner of her eyes, Alex could tell that several of the men were already up to their feet, stampeding towards Piper and her. It was going to get nasty, and all she could think of was to get up. She pushed herself up and threw herself over Piper, using her body to shield the woman from the incoming attacks. She shut her eyes tightly, her jaws clamped. She expected a lot of pain, but instead felt a strong breeze around her. She held on tightly to the body next to her, her mind temporarily failing to register what was going on. For a moment that felt like a rushed, tiring dream, she opened her eyes again to find herself in the deep woods. Everything around her was green, thick and wet. Everything but the body beneath her. Quickly she rolled off Piper, giving the blonde some room to breathe.

"Nicky?" Alex groggily say sat up. Her friend must have been the only answer as to why they ended up in the woods, when they were still in the yard just a moment ago.

Nicky appeared next to Alex, offering the taller woman the broken pair of glasses. "Here. God, you look like shit. Can't you take care of yourself for just one minute without me?"

Alex snatched the glasses from Nicky, and put them on. Its left leg was crooked. Cracks and scratches marred the left lens. She would need a new pair of glasses ASAP. "Fuck you, Nicky. You almost got me killed! What were you thinking? That guy already said, 'sorry'."

Nicky spat. "He hasn't... to Morello."

"Jesus, Lorna's love life is her concern. We all know that she's gonna go back to him again by the end of the week. And it's not entirely his fault that this keeps happening."

"Don't be such an ass, Vause. It's my concern too! Whether we're dating or not, Morello is my friend. I have to look out for her! Just like Chapman here. She intervened before they kicked your butt." Nicky scoffed. "Well, actually, they did."

"Fuck you," Alex grunted, wincing as she lightly touched her right cheek.

"Will... you two... stop already?" Piper slowly sat up, a hand clutching at her chest. She was out of breath. Clearly she had never been subjected to Nicky's nauseous teleporting skills. "I think… this…"

"Don't worry, blondie. You'll feel better in a bit. Just take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be fine." Arms across her chest, Nicky had a smug smile on her face.

Alex got up, but inwardly winced. _Great_. The pains were back, hammering against her ribs threefold. Just when she thought that she was getting better. Unfortunately, for Alex Vause, not a day went by in Litchfield that was uneventful. But Alex ignored the pain and extended a hand to Piper. The blonde glanced up, and after a moment of silence, she took Alex's hand and let Alex pull her up.

Piper felt bile rising up her throat, her breakfast in the mix. Her legs wobbled, and she fell against Alex's taller frame for support. Alex's long arms wrapped around her in an instant to prevent her from falling.

"Are you ok, Pipes?" Alex watched Piper with worry, and then turned to Nicky. "Take her to the infirmary. This looks serious."

"It must have been the combination of my motion sickness-induced powers and Christopher's dead air shit. Can you believe anyone want to be near him?" Nicky made a face. "Like when he panicked, he could hurt you just like that. I wonder if he ever slipped during fucking. That must have been horrible for his partners."

Alex rolled her eyes. "You can ask Lorna about it later. Now help Piper to the infirmary."

Nicky smirked. "Nah, I got a party to go to," she said, turning away.

"Yeah, Tricia's birthday lunch. Take us back now." Alex tightened her grips on Piper's slender arms as she felt Piper's legs caving in again. "Pipes, are you ok? You wanna sit down?"

Alex heard Nicky chuckling, but when she looked up, the small woman was already gone. "Nicky... Nicky, come on... Nicky…?" Alex gulped when there was no response. Piper's head was resting against her neck as Alex now needed to hold the blonde with both arms to keep her unconscious form on her feet. "Fuck."

* * *

Piper opened her eyes again to see the tall, layered roofs of thick green leaves. Lying flat on her back, she could feel the dampness from the soil seeping through the back of her gray, hooded sweatshirt. Comfortable in her pose, she sleepily smiled up at the bright, blue sky. She only realized where she was when she felt her 'pillow' moving. She glanced up and saw Alex smiling down at her.

"Feeling better?"

It was that husky whisper again that rendered Piper helpless, mesmerized under the piercing green gaze. It took Piper a moment to realize that she was resting her head on Alex's lap. It took her a second to remember what had happened earlier today—what happened last night. At the last thought, she instantly sat up, looking away. "Where did Nicky go?"

"Tricia's birthday lunch. I was supposed to be there too."

Piper kept her gaze anywhere but Alex. She stood up, hands on her hips. She must have passed out somehow. "Are you blaming me for missing the party?"

Alex stopped for a second. "No, I didn't mean for it to sound—"

"How long was I out?"

"Almost four hours. It 1 pm. already."

"Four hours!?" Piper's eyes widened. But then again she shouldn't be so shocked since she had absolutely no sleep last night.

Alex shrugged. "It happens. It depends on the person's mental and bodily strength."

"Are you saying that I'm weak?" The younger woman glared.

"Whoa, Pipes, why are you so defensive all of a sudden?" Alex frowned, lifting her glasses up to rest on top of her head.

Piper paused at the clearer view of the vibrant green eyes. A simple stare from Alex could easily render her speechless.

"I guess it was your first time encountering a wicked power like that. It helps when you get to fight them more often."

Piper recalled the short moment Christopher's powers had affected on Alex. "You fought one before? How did you deal with them?"

"Kill them." Piper halted, and Alex just laughed. She got up, brushing the dirt off her jumpsuit. She limped a little as she began to walk off. "You seem fine now. Let's head back, shall we?"

Piper followed the brunette, noting Alex's awkward gait. It seemed that her legs weren't fully willing. Alex must have been sitting in the same position for hours to let Piper's head rest. She watched Alex's back, wanting to say something, but decided against it.

For what seemed like twenty minutes of silence, they both trekked along the narrow path, pushing away the large leaves as they passed. Soon, they reached the wider, graveled road.

"Thanks... for saving me today." Alex was the first to break the silence. "But next time, don't interfere. You could have gotten seriously hurt."

"Shut up, Al. They were going to kill you." Piper put her fists in her hoodie's pockets. Still looking away, she picked up her pace a bit to walk alongside Alex. She didn't like when Alex sounded vulnerable. It just sounded so wrong. "Are you hurt?" Piper regretted as soon as the stupid question slipped through her lips. Of course, it hurt. It hurt just to witness it. The people of Litchfield were wild, unpredictable and violent. It seemed as though their powers were ready to explode—to be spent at any given moment. Sometimes Piper couldn't help but feel that it was for the better that the 'gifted' people should remain on this island. They would be feared and despised out there.

Alex didn't respond, but just stared ahead. Her face was neutral, making it impossible for Piper to read. In the very least her walk had become normal now. Her back was a little straighter when she walked.

"Do you think they'll try to ambush us when we get back?" Piper was worried not for her own safety; she was able to defend herself pretty much without getting into trouble. But she feared for Alex since Red was looking for any excuse to incarcerate her.

"I wouldn't worry about me, but you should watch out for yourself. Those guys live in the North. They'll seek some sort of retribution."

"I'm not afraid. I'm very capable of kicking their asses," Piper said, perking her chin up.

Alex looked grim, biting her bottom lip. "I don't think your roommate will be much help to you. She's a Parkslope wuss. I'll ask Jess. She's friend with Christopher. I'm sure she can—"

"'Jess' as in 'Jessica Wedge', your girlfriend?" Piper grew cold, her body stiffened.

Alex paused for a second before a smirk crept up her face. "Who told you that? Nicky...? No, we're old friends—"

"I certainly don't need her help. I can take care of myself." Piper walked faster, leaving Alex a few feet behind as if the further away she was from Alex, the memories of last night would become more distant. But in truth it was nothing like she had hoped. She could still see clearly how Jessica pressed in against Alex, both pulling and pushing the other down to bed. Piper couldn't see beyond the window frame, but it was more than enough to leave her troubled and painfully sleepless last night.

Alex rushed to Piper's side. "You need an ally in the North. Holly isn't going to cut it."

"It's 'Polly'. Talk to me again when you care to remember people's names. You and Nicky are unbelievable," Piper said, rolling her eyes. She tried her best to keep a straight face, but she wouldn't know for how long. She picked up her speed again, needing to get away. She didn't think that she could stand one more second looking at Alex. It was intoxicating just to be around this woman. Sometimes Piper still couldn't believe how she was able to leave Alex that night four years ago. Sometimes she missed 'them' so much, and a lot of times she just despised all that they once had.

But Alex heatedly grabbed Piper's cast arm, pulling her back. Piper winced, and Alex immediately let go off her. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I didn't see—"

"Forget it." Piper just turned away.

Alex followed suit. "Look, it's for your own safety."

"I said, 'forget it'!" Piper spoke a little too loudly for her own liking, and it frustrated her that she couldn't keep her emotions in check.

Alex grabbed Piper's shoulder and pulled them both to a halt. "Are you even listening at all!? No one can survive in Litchfield alone. You need friends who could protect you, or fight with you. You might have Howard as a—a family, which is great, but he's not here very often. A lot of times horrible things in Litchfield just got buried, forgotten like they never happened. We're like one, big, fucked up family here, Pipes. Rules can only do so much when you deal with superpowers. It's nothing like the world out there, and Howard isn't going to be there every time you need him. I… I can't..." Alex began to stutter, seemingly disconcerted by heavy thoughts. "I just don't wanna think that if… if something happens to you..."

Piper cursed herself as she gazed up and studied the intense green eyes, wanting so much to whisper calm words to reassure the taller woman that everything was going to be all right. Alex sounded desperate in her worries, and it hurt Piper even more that it seemed to be all she could get from Alex now. They were so close, yet so far away. "I want you to think. Think of it whenever you can. Every fucking moment, I want you to never forget. I don't want a day gone by that you wouldn't think of me."

Alex froze, staring at Piper. She looked utterly stunned by what was said. Piper, too, was surprised by what had just slipped out of her mouth.

After a few moments, Alex took a deep breath in. "God, Pipes, I'm getting whiplash here."

Piper adamantly nodded, feeling guilty herself for bringing it up. "Never mind. Forget what I said." She found her voice shaken, so she decided to shut up.

"All right. But can we get back to convincing you that Jess, while she might not be very friendly, she's harmless, I'm sure. She's powerful enough to keep you safe. She can talk to them to leave you alone. I won't be able to sleep at night if you—"

"We'd be even then, just like how I couldn't sleep last night after seeing you with her."

For a few moments, Alex looked dumbfounded. "What...? You saw us?"

"Fuck. It doesn't matter. What am I saying? We don't matter." Piper momentarily put her right hand over her forehead, sighing. What a day it had been. Every fucking word that had come out of her mouth was regrettable. She just took every wrong turn whenever she was with Alex, yet somehow she couldn't walk away.

Alex groaned in disbelief. "Pipes, you kissed me, and then avoided me like plague the next day. Look, I tried to understand where you were coming from. You were lonely, and you slipped. We're history, I get it. But you don't get to make me feel guilty for seeing someone else. You don't get to break my heart twice."

"_I_ broke your heart? I fucking broke your heart!?" Piper felt blood shooting to her head. She pushed Alex's chest with both hands. "You used me, Alex! All through the time we were together, I was just another recruit to you. You were so full of shit! Everything you did or said was one lie after another! You followed their orders and put my life in danger. Yeah, I broke your fucking heart." Piper scoffed.

Alex took a step back, looking down. "Not everything was a lie," she mumbled. "Yes, you were on their list, and that was how I first approached you. But I never lied when I said—"

"_I love you_? Don't bother. That gets old after a while—" Piper stopped herself. Her heart grew heavy, and just when she thought she was so over it, it still fucking hurt. "God, I don't even know why we're having this conversation. Fuck. Let's just... let's go back now. I don't want to miss the trainings."

Alex looked heartbroken, and Piper didn't know why. She just couldn't bear to see it. Even though Alex had always been the dominant one in their relationship, it had always been Piper who had made the most difficult decisions for them.

"I'm asking Howard for a day off, so I can leave to get married. I'm just waiting for his permission. He's been busy, but I'm sure he'll come around and settle this matter soon." Piper lied. She hadn't approached Howard about the matter, leaving it to Larry to take care of it. And Larry hadn't answered her calls for two days in a row now. Piper kept staring at the ground, while Alex had remained silent. "The best I can do is... is to be your friend. I think I can do that."

A long moment passed before Alex spoke again. This time she sounded steady, the calm returning to her deep voice. "Sure. Friends are good. That's quite generous of you when I think about what I did. I'll take what I can."

Piper looked up at Alex. It somehow left a hollow feeling in her chest at how easily Alex resigned. Just how many times they had to go through the push and pull, the wants and the hates—the fulfillments and regrets.

"So you'll let me talk to Jess about this? At least, let me do this. I can't let those guys hurt you."

"Al." Piper briefly closed her eyes. It was eating her up inside, and she had to get it out. "Can you please not care this much? It makes it even harder for me. You... Seeing you again after all these years is probably the hardest thing for me in Litchfield. Please, don't do this."

Alex lightly scoffed. "Why? Are you saying that it's because you still love me...? _You_ left me." Alex sounded jaded as she reminded Piper. By this point, she had lost that fire in her voice. She tiredly ran her hand through her hair. "I don't wanna go through it again either. You left me to die, and then you went and started a new, wonderful life. You have someone waiting for you out there now. Hey, that's great. Good for you. But, for years, I've just felt dead, Pipes. I lost you, and then I lost everything I'd ever believed in, even myself. You have no idea how much it destroyed me. So, yeah, I wouldn't care so much just to make it easier for both of us, if I can help it."

Alex sharply turned and made her way down the hill. There it was, the answer Piper had been asking throughout those tormented years, but she could only watch Alex walk away now. She lied in bed this morning, thinking that she had seen things clearly for the first time in years, but now found herself even more confused. Lost along this long road in the middle of nowhere, her mind wondered endlessly of what could have been different if they had met in other circumstances—if they still had the chance to make it 'real'.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"I don't even know why I'm here. Last time we talked was four years ago. I told you that Alex was in trouble, and you said you'd call. Foolish as I had always been, I waited for you to come to us when we needed you, but you didn't. You never showed up."

In a quiet diner, Diane had made two domestic flights from her safe house to meet Lee Burley, her former lover. She knew that Lee only called when he needed something from her. She knew that he never loved her, but he was Alex's father. He was the love of her life; Diane could never say 'no' to him.

Hands clasped on her lap, Diane glanced around, her wide, blue eyes anxious. Her daughter had specifically told her not to leave the safe house, but the solitary life was starting to get the better of her.

"What is it that you want?" Diane's voice darkened as paranoia grew. She was careful when leaving home. No one had seemed to be following her at the airports. It was already 10 P.M., and there were only five customers left in this old diner. None of them looked suspicious. They appeared to be locals; two old men having meals together, and a young lady sitting in the corner, busy with her mobile phone and a cup of hot chocolate.

"I, eh, I'm a little low on cash. I know I've never been the guy you want me to be, but..." Lee scratched the back of his blond head. He was a tall, lean man with faded, tattooed eyeliners. He dressed in his sleeveless, black t-shirt and a pair of tight, black, leather pants. His long arms sported old and new tattoos. It was as if he had never changed from his young, rock 'n' roll days at all, or that he decided never to grow up. Sometimes Diane couldn't help but feel sorry for her daughter that she had fallen in love with the wrong person. How different it would have been? "Look, I'm kinda broke here. I need 92K in the next two weeks, or they'll confiscate my penthouse. You got some that I can borrow? Please, help me out, Diane. I don't know who else to turn to. My band mates are doing pretty bad themselves. My ex-wife hasn't returned any of my calls. Damn that bitch."

Diane growled, blood shooting up to her face. "You left me to raise Alex all by myself. When I went to you for help, you gave me two hundred bucks. Two fucking hundred bucks, Lee. While I worked four jobs to put food on the table, where were you? When I had to leave Alex at my neighbors, because no one was home to look after her, where were you?"

"I thought you'd find a new boyfriend. You were one very hot girl, Diane. Boys were all over you." Lee grinned stupidly. "And how is our girl? You told me that Alex is doing really well. Did she get a rich boyfriend? A generous papa? Our girl is pretty! She got it from you!" He sounded proud despite everything.

"Of course, she got all the good genes from me. She's beautiful. She's smart. She's nothing like you," Diane sneered.

"Then what kind of trouble she was in four years ago?" Lee suddenly looked stern, his grin vanished. "Was it about that weird thing, _the_ good gene she got from your side of the family?"

Diane stared at him in disbelief. "Was that why you didn't come to see her? Because you hate 'gifted' people, your own daughter?"

Lee rubbed his face tiredly, looking away.

Diane clenched her fists, her face reddened. "Lee Burley, I swear—"

"You can't blame me. Our girl turned out to be a freak because of you. Didn't you tell me that your dad got it, too? That he accidentally fried your mother at the dining table? Holy shit, Diane, having creepy powers is one thing, but nobody accidentally kills someone like that. Your father was a murderer. And you raised our daughter into a gangster. You think I can't tell? She's made so much money without ever going to college. I don't have a degree either, but I play music for a living. What did she do? I bet she didn't tell you."

Diane wanted to scream at him, but couldn't find her voice. Yes, she had suspected her father all along, just like how she questioned Alex's career, which was never explained.

Lee sighed. "I might have sounded harsh. I'm sorry. But it scared me. Not the fatherhood, but the, uh, you know, the strange powers thing. I just never thought that my child would be like that. I didn't know that your family has it."

Diane blankly stared at him. It was the first time Lee had ever admitted his fears of his daughter's powers. She realized now that he would never have chosen to be with her if he had known beforehand that _it_ ran in her family. Guilt rushed into her; she was the reason Alex had to grow up without a father. _She_ was a wrong choice.

"I still love her. She's my child. My only child," Lee said.

Diane frowned. She recalled him having two sons with his model wife. "What happened to the others?"

Lee glanced down at the cup of coffee in front of him before taking a reluctant sip. "There was a ski accident two years ago, and... the other overdosed about four months ago." He shook his head. "I was a horrible father. I never took care of any of my children. Never helped them. Never asked how they were doing. And now? God, I have no one left. No, I mean, Alex is still alive, right?"

"She's fine," Diane said, her voice small. With all the secrecy around her daughter's behaviors for the past months, she had been worried sick, losing sleep over it. But there was nothing she could do but wait for Alex's calls.

Lee sighed again in frustration. "Look, this penthouse is all I've got left. My ex-wife took everything else. All right, I still got that 1961 California Spyder."

"I don't care what you have-"

"I'm leaving them to her. I just need that 130K to settle all debts! Please, just this once, and it'll all be settled. This is the last time."

"You said 92K!" Diane hissed.

Lee paused before shrugging. "130K is all I need. I've got no one left, Diane. Alex will have it all."

Diane leaned back into the leather seat. She didn't even know why she had bothered with this man all her life.

"The penthouse. The Ferrari. The girls would be all over Alex!" Lee grinned, leaning over the table.

Diane glowered at him. "Alex doesn't need your shit to impress girls."

Chuckling excitedly, Lee clasped his hands together. "She's her daddy's girl after all! My boys never did so well without the fancy cars. They didn't have the Burley thing."

"No, it's _the_ Vause thing." Diane raised her chin up with confidence.

Lee chuckled, nodding. After a moment, he looked up at her, staring into her eyes like that night thirty years ago, the moment when they thought that nothing could come between them. "You're right. It's the Vause thing," he said.

Sipping her coffee, Diane quietly listened to him babbling more and more into the night. It amazed her how they could easily sum up their lives apart into just a few moments, and felt that they were enough to last a few more years of longing. Was love always like this? Was it the thing that always lived on even though the heart was tired?

It was almost midnight when they parted, and Diane promised to wire him the money tomorrow morning.

* * *

Once again, Piper was in a private training with Red. She had asked to join the large group, but Red had been silent to her request. Heading out to the backyard of the Gym, Red wanted to focus on her other abilities: telekinetic flight.

"No, I... I can't..." Blue eyes were wide in horror. Piper could feel her feet hanging in the air, her arms fanning out in panic. The cast on her arm had already been removed.

"Focus... Stop panicking! Bozhe moi, you're only a few inches off the ground! The lowest I've seen among telekinesis students I've had so far," Red growled. "What is wrong with you? What are you afraid of?"

Eyes squeezed shut, Piper tried not to delve into Red's questions. She didn't grow up with acrophobia. It had only developed from an incident four years ago, an occurrence involving a certain ex. Again. The more Piper thought back, the more she saw her future intertwine with Alex in ways that she had never imagined before. Alex was the reason she found her powers and landed in Litchfield years later. It looked like they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Try to have positive thoughts. Think of something courageous. Set a goal, and take flight! Good. That's good. That's better."

At Red's remark, Piper opened her eyes and found herself about five meters above the ground. Horror struck, and she fell face first. "Ahhhhhhh—"

_THUD!_

"Ouch... ah, fuck," Piper groaned as she lifted her muddy face up.

Red shook her head disapprovingly. "I know it can get scary, but think of positive things. How your powers can save lives. How useful it can be to you and your loved ones. Make it a necessity, and soon you'll grow used to it. Soon you'll feel at ease with it, and it'll come naturally to you." Red waves her hands again as Piper shakily got up to her feet. "All right. Let's try again."

Piper closed her eyes, allowing her mind to wander to her family, and then Larry. She kept reminding herself that they needed her to get this right. They needed her to be _in_ control, so that they would be safe from her dangerous powers. They needed her to hide it well. They needed her to _not_ be this thing that she had become.

"Shit." Piper swore when she opened her eyes and still found her feet firmly on the ground.

The next three hours passed with some small success. She could levitate for a few meters high, but only for short moments. There was no urgency. There was no sense of need. She had come here to see her powers subdued, not to make them grow.

Out of breath, Piper wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeves. She watched her instructor pacing slowly around the yard, seemingly deep in thoughts. The trainings would be over any minute now. Today had been much more exhausting than she had expected.

"How is Vause? Anything new on that front?" Red eventually spoke.

Piper sighed. Sooner or later she would need to give Red something. "She calls her mother every day. They seem to have a loving mother and daughter relationship."

"Vause spent her teenage years here. We already knew about her tight relationship with her mother. As her former lover, I'm sure you knew that as well." Red then smirked. "Or had she never introduced you to Diane?"

"Of course, I met her before." Piper answered almost too defensively, and she regretted it immediately.

Red chuckled. "Tell me something I don't know already."

"She, uh... it seems that she had Diane put into a safe house somewhere. Very secretive. I haven't asked her directly." Piper mentally chastised herself. She had overheard this bit of information when Alex was on the phone with Diane while they were still in the infirmary. She just hoped that whatever information she had given, they would only help keeping Alex safe from the syndicate.

"A safe house?" Red paused, and then turned to stare at Piper. "Vause is in grave danger then."

"Yeah, well, the lizard man tried to kill her. We already knew that."

Red glared at Piper. "Kubra's syndicate is one of the most successful, anti-government, superheroes factions out there. It has almost 150 members. Can you imagine what they can do?" Red nodded to herself. "It means Vause has nowhere else to go. It means we have every advantage over her, that she'd do anything we ask of her."

Piper stiffened. "What are you planning to do to her?"

Red laughed, her tone mocking. "Oh, don't look so depressed! It just makes us more at ease, knowing that she's unlikely to betray us this time." Red smiled as she continued, "Diane is the key. She is Vause's key, so that was why she kept her mother hidden away. Remember what I told you about the most important thing to you, the thing that your enemies can use against you."

Piper slowly nodded, trying to comprehend the situation. "Yeah, well, what do I need to do?"

"Find Diane."

* * *

_"Vause. Alex… Alex Vause. I'm here for Alex Vause," Piper panted. She had almost crashed into the counter as she rushed into the hospital at two in the morning. The emergency call came three hours ago, and Piper, while having no car, had to call up Cal to drive her. Her brother was considerate enough not to ask for details, seeing how uncomfortable she was, and waited out in the parking lot._

_Clinging to the counter, Piper's heart was in her throat, her knees weak. "Please, tell me where—"_

_"V-A-U-S-E. Alex Vause! I need to see my daughter now! Please, doctor!" _

_A voice blared next to Piper, and she turned to see a dark-haired woman in her mid-forties. A very beautiful face with expressive, blue eyes. The woman had retained her good looks even with her age, her unkempt hair, and her worn, gray coat. _

_"I'm a nurse," the plum nurse droned. "Alex Vause. Room C25. 2nd floor."_

_"Thank you!"_

_"Diane Vause?" Piper called out, and the woman stopped. Then, with a mutual destination, they both began to walk towards the stairways, speeding up as they looked at each other._

_"And you are?" Diane asked._

_"I'm Piper. I'm Alex's—umm… uh..."_

_"Girlfriend. Aren't you a pretty, young lady? You seem like a nice girl!" Diane remarked as she led the way in long strides. "They called you?"_

_Piper nodded, following Diane down the corridor. She stalled a bit when Diane said, "Alex never put any of her girls on the emergency contact list. It'd always been only me. You're the first."_

_Diane smiled, and then pushed the door to room C25 open. "Alex!"_

_The nurse rushed to Diane at once, trying to calm the mother down. Piper stood by the doorway, trying to get a better glimpse at her girlfriend. Then, her heart dropped. Still unconscious, Alex looked sickly pale in the blue hospital gown, her raven hair dampened. There were still traces of blood along the side of her right cheek down to her neck. The right side of her face was a mess. Her right eye was black and swollen. A long cut drew a nasty line from her right brow down her cheek. Her right ear looked to have taken a nasty cut as well. Both her arms and her right leg were bandaged. A mountain of bloodied cotton balls pooled on the tray. There were tubes and wires connected to Alex's body, the busy webs Piper had no idea what they were doing, but she at least hoped that they were keeping Alex alive._

_Very soon, Dr. William Madison approached Diane and Piper. He explained that Alex was out of danger. Minor head injuries. Several cuts and bruises along the body, all of which would heal. Alex was considered very lucky, considering how severe the car crash was. Piper had no idea why Alex was driving (they always took the trains or taxis), whose car it was, or what really happened. At the moment she just sighed in relief, clutching Diane's frail hands in reassurance. Diane had put up a tough façade so far, but Piper had only realized how shaken the woman truly was when she got to hold her hands._

_Dr. Madison was young. Mid-thirties. Tall and dark. He wasn't exactly a model material, but definitely had a killer smile. Other than reassuring Diane and Piper that his patient was treated and would recover without complications, he didn't forget to emphasize his impressive smiles and winks at the blonde. Piper was anything but new to flirting games, but she was pretty sure how inappropriate it seemed at the moment. The doctor probably mistook her as a relative or a friend, not his patient's girlfriend._

_The chart in his hands, the doctor sighed with a tired smile. Piper took it as a sign, ready to leave the conversation. She turned away to enter Alex's room. _

_"Hold on."_

_Piper paused mid-step, her face expressionless, her hand on the knob. It was really late. She was sleepy and exhausted. She wanted to see Alex so badly, and was absolutely in zero mood to even be cordial now if he would flirt any further._

_"There was a lone passenger in the car. Died instantly at the crash site. The name was Piper Chapman. We couldn't find any contact on her list. Do you happen to know who she was?"_

_Piper froze. She didn't have to look to feel Diane's gaze upon her. _

* * *

Sounds of waves crashing against the rocky shores rang endlessly in her ears. The wind was chilly and strong, but Alex had come equipped with a black jacket and a gray scarf. It was getting colder by day. Lying on her back, she scrutinized the vast plane above. The sky was blue. The bluest shade of blue she had ever seen. It felt so close, yet unreachable to her. If only she could reach out...

... _and touch her again._

Alex's heart grew heavy at the thought. Their time had long been over. She screwed up. She lied to Piper from the start, and all the things that followed weren't any good indications that would make Piper reconsider their relationship now either. It destroyed her when Piper ended their affair, but she couldn't really blame the woman. Now Alex wasn't even sure if she deserved Piper's friendship. The blonde was right; Alex had literally taken her away from the safety net of her family, friends and lover-a safe future, and had thrown her into this mad world. Piper had every reason to hate her, yet all those little caring gestures from Piper (and the kisses) had frustrated her to no end. A part of her reasoned that Piper was just using her to fend off loneliness, while another cajoled her into believing that Piper still had feelings for her.

_She was getting married before coming to Litchfield. Jesus, just drop it. Urgh!_

Alex irritably sighed. She turned to lie on her side, staring at the grasses instead. She never had to second-guess herself. 'Alex Vause' never had to worry over any girl's affections, but her insecurity involuntarily grew whenever Piper was involved. Did she really want Piper back? How could she even entertain the idea after how Piper left her? What she had done was terrible, but Piper wasn't exactly all saint when things went to the breaking point between them. They were just toxic for each other, and Alex felt foolish that she still mulled over it after all these years. In fact, it aggravated her even more that Piper had Larry waiting for her out there, while she had no one.

_But isn't it what I've prepared myself for? It's how it's meant to be_. Before her thoughts would grow darker, a sharp, rustling sound from the distance caught her attention. Alex turned to look over her shoulder.

"Hey, Vause! Doing anything tonight?" Nicky descended the hill towards her.

Alex lied down flat on her back again. She had skipped trainings today, wanting to keep things quiet, needing a good rest. "Go away. I don't need your trouble today."

Nicky sank down on the grass next to her friend. "Beautiful day, huh!? I knew you'd be here. Your favorite spot."

"Not so favorite now, is it?" Alex remarked lazily.

Nicky chuckled as she tickled her friend a bit, earning a few slaps at her hands. "Oh, come on, I know you care! Wedge approached Chapman and me the other day, clearing things up between that dead-air shithead and us."

"Piper wasn't really a part of the mess. Keep her out of it," Alex warned. She couldn't have sounded more serious even if she tried.

Nicky put her hands on her raised knees, staring out at the sea view below. They were a few miles west of the South Mansion. "Chapman looked pissed though. She said she didn't need Wedge's help. Anyway, all your girls are so feisty. They almost got into a catfight right there. Ha! Jeez, how do you deal with them?"

Alex wouldn't answer. Her eyes remained close.

Nicky mischievously nudged her friend with a foot. "Who's better in bed?"

Alex rolled to the other side, turning her back to Nicky.

Nick tapped her friend's back harder. "My guess is Wedge. Am I right? I bet she's as hot as fire in bed despite her ice powers."

"They're fine. Stop talking about them, will you?"

"_Fine_?" Nicky echoed, grinning. "Morello told me that your girlfriend visits you every night. If she's just 'fine', I doubt you'd let her go back to you so often."

"God, you two seriously need to stop spying on me. And she's not my girlfriend. We just need some... release, that's all. Can we stop talking about it now?" Alex grumbled.

"All right. Hey, take a look at this." Nicky fished a cell phone out of her jacket pocket. "iPhone 6. Brand new."

Alex raised her head to look over her shoulder before sitting up. "Where did you get that?"

"Mom. I sneaked it in yesterday. Isn't this shit supposed to be waterproof or fireproof or some really cool shit?"

"That's Sony, dumbass." Alex took the phone from her friend, studying it a bit. "You'd get caught, Nicky. You'd be in serious shit for this."

"I'm amazed that you're afraid, Vause."

Alex shrugged. "Not for me. You're a teleporter, and they love to check up on your room for a reason. Well, if you don't mind moving to Brazil to be with your mom and her boyfriend."

Nicky snatched the phone back at the notion. "I don't have to move in with them. I'm 32 now. I can hold my own shit even if Litchfield kicks me out."

"Right. We all have seen it before. What can we do with the degrees we got from here? No employers would want to hire 'gifted' people. It's useless. The world out there isn't for people like us."

"That was why you ended up with Kubra," Nicky said, watching her friend carefully. "And now you're back, stuck here with the uncool kids. What happened to the badass chick I knew?"

Alex kicked the grasses a bit. "You don't want me back?"

Nicky slapped her knee. "I was kidding! Man, you have no idea how glad I was to hear that you were leaving those people. Those long years, you were gone."

Alex mustered up a smile for her friend. "Believe it or not, I liked it there. It was my home, the only thing that made me feel worthy of something... It'd have worked out fine, but, unfortunately, I've got other priorities."

"You're saying that you ruined your future or whatever you had with the creepy faction for something else?" Nicky's eyes widened. "What the fuck? Here I thought someone knocked some sense into you, and that's why you came back to us. Ugh. What the hell happened anyway? What made you leave them?"

"Long story."

Nicky raised her arms up. "I've got all day!"

Alex gestured at the phone again. "What's up with it? You know you can't keep it. The guards know that you're one of very few people on this island who are able to sneak in stuff."

Nicky raised the phone to Alex. "That's right, girl. I need you to keep it for me."

"I knew it." Alex groaned. "I'm pretty much homeless out there at the moment, Nicky. I really don't want to move to Brazil to live with your mom just in case they kicked me out. Healy is at it every day, stopping me by the South entrance, hoping to bust me with something."

"Hey, at least you got off his shot for being injured. Thanks to Mr. Bloom. I still have to clean shit every day for that fucking fight in the infirmary! That bastard."

Alex took the phone from her friend and stuffed it in her pocket. "For how long?"

"Two days at most. I can sell this for really good money!"

Alex sighed.

"I owe you one!" Nicky grinned.

* * *

"Oh, this is good!" Polly spoke with a mouthful, waving her fork around.

Sitting opposite to Polly, Piper just watched her roommate. It was amazing how Polly loved every dish at Litchfield, while Piper found them very bland and cold. The seasonings were never good, and the meats came packed frozen. Nothing was fresh. The vegetables always looked darkened, sometimes spoiled. She felt that her father's money should have bought her more edible meals. Then, her thought on the food vanished as soon as Nicky whizzed her way towards her table in the corner with Yoga Jones and Red. She would love to talk to Nicky, but she wasn't particularly thrilled by the idea of sitting with the redhead.

Red winked at her, and Piper looked away.

Another distraction came when Jessica sat down next to Polly, putting down the tray on the table. The two blondes glared at each other before Jessica broke the silence, picking up her fork and starting her meal.

"You should look a little grateful for what I've done for you. Chris and his friends were so ready to teach you some manners, if I hadn't interfered," Jessica said.

"Are you looking for a 'thank you'?" Piper droned.

"Guys, really, can we put this thing behind?" Polly butted in. "And, Jessica, we, the North people, don't gang up on our own. Piper wasn't trying to hurt Chris. It was all that bitch Nichols there." Polly glanced at Nicky, and then turned back to Jessica. "But, of course, she's friend with the instructors."

Jessica glanced at Red, and then looked down at her own plate again. "Have you heard?"

"About what?" Polly asked.

"Mendez. The verdict is out. They're going to execute him next week. First in over a decade."

Piper looked up at Jessica, her grip on her fork tightened.

Polly raised her brows. "For trespassing?"

"Jeez, no! For attempted murder."

"But Vause is still alive and fine now," Polly said. "Isn't this a little harsh?"

"I think this is exactly what he deserves. He could have gotten many of us killed. He's a very dangerous man. Besides, he's from _the_ other faction. It's only right that we get rid of him as soon as possible."

"Yeah, but Vause is from the same faction, isn't she? I think Healy is trying to get her where Mendez is. Not gonna be long though. Vause is 'trouble' herself," Polly said, shrugging.

The brunette continued eating, but little did she know what thoughts were roaming through the two blondes' minds. It took Piper and Jessica only a glance at each other to know.

* * *

_"You're not safe." Alex spoke, her lips bruised. The right side of her face was swollen, and her right eye could barely open. Lying on the hospital bed, she felt, and looked, like a mess with all the tubes and wires around her. They told her that she had been out for at last 28 hours straight, but it had taken her girlfriend 3 days to visit her. She had no idea where Piper had been. Her mother had tried to contact the blonde, but failed. However, Diane had told her that Piper did visit on the night of the accident, but had since disappeared._

_Here, Piper stood by the foot of the bed. She had not greeted Alex with a kiss or a hug, but a cold stare. The distance between them said it all to Alex that Piper's disappearance was intentional. "Says the person who is currently lying in a hospital bed, having been in a suspicious, fatal car crash." Piper sucked in a breath through her gritted teeth. "Who are you, really, Alex Vause? Who the fuck are you!?" She threw a brown envelope onto the bed. _

_Alex didn't move to retrieve the envelope next to her legs. She recognized it by heart. She had kept it in the safe in the closet. How Piper got a hold of it was the last of her worry at the moment. "Listen—"_

_"There are many names in there. Profiles of people—of strangers... and I'm one of them." Piper clenched her fists. Tears welled up blue eyes. "What do you want from me?" Her voice cracked. She sounded so small and fragile, while trying to act strong. And the sight broke Alex's heart._

_Alex would like very much to get up and hold Piper, to tell her that, despite how it looked, her feelings for her were real. What stopped her wasn't the pain that would come from moving, but her shame. No matter what she said now, she doubted that Piper would believe her. "I just... I just want you to be safe," Alex mumbled._

_Piper hugged herself, looking away as tears bathed her beautiful face. "I feel anything but safe right now. I've been with you for a year, but it turned out that I don't even know who you are, or—or your agenda. Why? Why me? What are those files for? What happened to that girl who died in the crash? Why did she have my name? I looked at her ID card. She had my birthday too." She croaked now. "I'm scared, Alex. What the hell is this all about?"_

_Alex watched Piper with a heavy heart. She had never imagined that it would be this hard to have to explain it to Piper. She had never imagined that they would fall in love. "They know that you're special, that's why you're on the list. Those people are just like you. Gifted. You're one of them."_

_Piper gulped down her tears. "What are you talking about?"_

_"They recruit people with gifted abilities, like those who go to Litchfield Island. It's where—"_

_"I know what Litchfield is for. But recruiting gifted people like me? Me, Alex?" Piper grew exasperated. "This is insane! So you only came to me as some sort of an underground recruiter?"_

_"No, Pipes—"_

_"Then, the dead girl in your car. And, now, you're accusing me to being one of those freaks!" Piper slapped a hand at her forehead, pacing at the foot of the bed. "Who have I been fucking for the past year? I really have no fucking idea who you are, or what you want. Yeah, what do you want, really?"_

_For the first time, Alex heard the dangerous tone in Piper's voice, and she stalled._

_"Did you kill that girl?"_

_Alex took a deep breath in. "It was a set up. She was dead for about half an hour before the crash. I stole the body. I needed someone to replace your identity. Now I will have the death certificate I need to show my boss. You just have to lay low for a while, and I'll distract them with other recruits. You're off the hook now. You won't have to work for them anymore."_

_Piper glared at Alex. "Work for them? Your boss? Who? Who are they to tell me what to do? What if I don't want to?"_

_Alex threw her head back against the pillows. "I was assigned to recruit you, but I had dragged the process to bring you in for almost a year now. They were getting suspicious. These people, Pipes, they don't take 'no' for an answer."_

_Piper blinked a few times, her mouth dry. "You want me to lay low as in staying away from you," she stated as a matter of fact, not a question. "When were you planning to tell me this?"_

_Alex sighed again. "Pipes, please, believe me. I don't know any other way—"_

_"We were planning a trip to Istanbul just this past weekend, a day before the car accident." Piper gasped. "Oh, my God, it's all a lie. Everything you've said and done. How could I be so stupid? I was so, so stupid."_

_"It's only for a little while. I've already arranged your new identity and a new address. Yes, in Istanbul—"_

_"Fuck you, Alex! This is my life you're talking about! You don't get to make the choices. I do! I'm not going to desert my family, my friends, my entire life here, and live like a fugitive under a false identity for no good reason! You can't do this to me! You have no rights!"_

_"They will hurt or kill your family if you refuse them," Alex said. Her voice was low, exhaustion weighing heavily. "If you don't move away like I had planned, the death certificate will only hold them back for a while. Sooner or later, they will find out, and we both will be in serious trouble."_

_Piper ran a hand through her hair. "I'll prove it then that they got a wrong person. I'm not gifted! I don't have any special abilities! Why can't you just believe me!? Alex, you've known me for a year now. You do know that I'm not one of them, right?" Piper panted. Her face reddened. When Alex didn't reply, she yelled, "Alex! Are you even listening!?"_

_Alex continued to remain silent. Only then Piper's gaze followed Alex's. She froze at the sight of broken pieces of vases on the floor. She had not heard when it happened. There were traces of water on the walls, painting where the vases had been smashed. On any other occasion, Piper would just disregard it as some sort of strange occurrence, but as she focused more on it, the more the strange energy she felt running along her hands and fingers. They felt sharp burns as though she had just grabbed something tightly, but without ever touching it._

God, no...

* * *

There were many obscured things about Alex Vause. There were betrayals and heartbreaks. Secrets and lies. But there were also genuine feelings that Piper had, for years, failed to forget. Warmed in a gray sweater, she hid herself behind the large tree in the back of the South Mansion, gazing up at Alex's room. The curtains were pulled to the sides, revealing the room's owner, Nicky and Lorna. They were chatting with one another. It looked like those three were having a chill night together.

Piper was tempted to interrupt, wanting to join in. She had to admit that it got a little lonely in the North. Polly had been a great company, but the girl usually wasn't there four days out of a week. Piper couldn't blame her roommate though. Anyone who could leave the island, while still could function in the real world, would do so in a heartbeat. Polly had already stayed in Litchfield for much longer than she needed to. Piper was even jealous of Polly's powers for being relatively harmless.

Piper heard Lorna's laughs from the window, and groaned as she turned away. She sank down on the ground, leaning back against the tree. Out of boredom, she tossed the gravel up, twirling it pointlessly and ceaselessly in midair. It looked like it was going to be a while before Alex would be left alone.

"Ouch!" Piper yelped as a small pebble was thrown at her shoulder. She poked her head out from behind the tree and looked around, squinting in the dark.

"Up here, dumbass."

Piper's head shot up and saw that Alex was bending, poking her head out of the window. Nicky and Lorna were grinning behind Alex.

"Peeping Tom, aren't you?" Nicky winked.

Piper felt blood shooting to her cheeks. She just hoped that the darkness had somewhat concealed her blush. She stepped out of the shadow, hoping, with some dignity. "I-uh-was just, you know, jogging-taking a walk-whoa!" All of a sudden, she felt a hand on her arm, and then the nasty whoosh that swept her off her feet. It took only a few seconds, and she opened her eyes again to find herself in Alex's room. Her head messy, she put her hands on her stomach, her eyes wide.

"Are you ok, Piper?" Lorna asked, her voice concerned. She led Piper to sit down on the bed.

Alex closed the window and turned to smile at Piper. The smile seemed so calm and relaxed that it puzzled her. It was as if their fight four days ago didn't happen. But then again, Alex was always forgiving, ready to forget whatever Piper had said or done to her. Alex was always there when she needed her. It had spoiled her in the past, and she must admit that she had missed it. "What were you doing out there? It's really cold out," Alex remarked casually as she slumped down onto the chair, sipping her beer.

Piper inwardly groaned, but muttered a thank you when Lorna opened a can of beer for her. Of all people, Alex should know best when a girl was standing outside her room, waiting! But, sometimes, Alex did come across as clueless as to how Piper really felt towards her. Perhaps, their nasty breakup had erased everything good that had ever happened between them. Piper's heart sank at the thought that maybe Alex never really felt their love to understand.

Nicky scooted next to Piper, hanging one arm over the blonde's shoulder. "Obviously Blondie was waiting for Lorna and me to leave." Nicky winked at Alex before turning to Piper. "How long were you going to stand out there, huh? What if it's not us, but her girlfriend? Would you wait all night for Wedge to leave? I repeat that it'd take _all night_."

Piper stiffened. Had she missed something? Had Alex and Jessica agreed to become something more? So soon? Was Alex in love with her?

"You were waiting for me? What is it?" Smirking, Alex took another sip of beer.

Piper bit her bottom lip, mentally growling at Nicky. She had to think of something fast, and she needed to sound serious. She cleared her throat and said, "I—I heard about Mendez."

Nicky's gaze met with Alex's before she turned to Piper again. "What about the guy?"

"They're going to execute him next week." Piper took a deep breath in. "He used to be in your faction, and I think that they don't trust you either. They might be on to something, Alex. Are you sure that you're safe here?"

"If Litchfield wants me dead, they could have it at their will," Alex said, shrugging. "Anyway, Mendez has it coming. I've known people like him, the bloodthirsty type. He killed to steal powers. There isn't much you can do to reason with him, but to stop him."

"How powerful is he?" Lorna questioned.

"He was among the top, powerful members of the faction. He'd been Kubra's right-hand man for years. As far as I know, he's killed at least twelve... including Fiona." Alex instantly looked down at the mention of her former lover. Her lips pressed into one sharp line.

Before Piper could stop herself, she shot up from the bed and knelt down next to Alex, clutching the pale hands on the woman's lap. Her action startled Alex a little, but she didn't back down. Instead, she tightened her grip. "It wasn't your fault. They're bad people, and they got her. It could have been you. Could have been me, or any of us here."

"It was my fault. I put her in danger," Alex said, her gaze fixing somewhere out in the dark outside the window.

"Everyone you care about is in danger because the bad guys want to get to you, but it doesn't mean that it's your fault if something terrible happens to them."

"You have no idea what I have or have not done. I should have done more for Fiona. I should have brought her here with me… but I was careless with her. I left her to take care of herself."

Piper stared at Alex, unsure how to feel. "Like how you were going to send me and leave me in Istanbul?" Her words stopped Alex, and their gazes met in uncertainty.

"I was planning to move there with you after I settled everything within the faction. Apparently, you didn't waste your time to wait. You had other things in mind. So there wasn't much I could do but to let you go."

Angry tears shot at Piper's eyes. "That's not fair. You never told me about the plan, and even then I had no reasons to believe you. You had been lying to me throughout our relationship. How did you suppose that I would hold onto your words after finding out what you'd been up to?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I was a fool. And it was a foolish plan. Look where it got us now. I guess I never learned."

A defeated smile appeared on Alex's face, and it somehow ached Piper's heart. She didn't even know why she should care. Her fingers involuntarily began to intertwine with the pale ones again. "It got us right here, together again after all those years. It's no Istanbul, but... not as bad as I thought. I'm still Piper Chapman, and you're still Alex. At least—"

_At least, I have you back. _

Piper paused at the thought. Why would she be glad to have Alex in her life again? What she had with Larry was peaceful, honest and loving. To have this thought now was absurd after all that she had left behind.

As silence grew, Alex reluctantly leaned over, slowly closing the gap between them. A breath caught in Piper's throat when she failed to command her body to move away. She looked up at the green eyes, and for the thousandth time, mesmerized, chained to her spot. Then her gaze traveled down and fixed upon those full lips that were inching closer to her own. Ever since they had kissed that night, not a night had passed without her heart and mind searching and yearning for _the_ familiar warmth she had dearly missed all this time. With anticipation, Piper almost straightened up to receive the kiss as a second now felt like forever to her.

"Al," Piper breathed, her eyelids fluttering close. However, a whooshing sound abruptly put Alex to a halt, and the taller woman looked up, turning away. Piper almost choked, awkwardly tumbling forward at the sudden turn of event. Breathing shakily, she turned to look and found the bed empty; both Lorna and Nicky had disappeared.

Alex cleared her throat, and smiled. "Every time Nicky leaves us alone, we get into a fight. I really don't want it to become a habit. Can tonight be an exception? I don't want to see you mad at me."

Piper stood up, hoping that she wasn't blushing. "Sure. I don't want to stay mad either. I just hope that we could at least be friendly again, and not at each other's throat all the time. We could be powerful allies. I could watch your back, and you mine... Like—uh—like how it went with Christopher. Well, thanks for that. Those guys left me and Nicky alone."

"I'm glad you're safe. There's no need to thank me. It wasn't your mess from the start." Alex chuckled, comfortably leaning back in her chair. "By the way, you want to be my ally now? Piper Chapman, I can never figure you out. Is there a way to make you love me again?"

"Don't push your luck." Piper lightly kicked one of the chair's legs, and Alex laughed. "I better get going. I wouldn't want your girlfriend to walk in and see us like this," she said, turning towards the door. It took her a certain amount of energy not to puke as she worded 'girlfriend' aloud.

"Like what? We're doing nothing wrong." Amused, Alex stood up from her chair.

Piper raised her brows. "So you admit that she _is_ your girlfriend."

"Come on, you agreed not to fight tonight. It's getting late. I'll walk you back to the North." Alex took the black coat from the hanger by the door, and put it on.

Piper shrugged. "Well, yeah. But as your ex, I feel like I'm entitled to feel a bit—well—jealous over it. Don't you agree?" She babbled almost to herself as she walked out the door.

Alex followed her down the corridor, smiling. "You're cute when you do that."

"Do what?" Piper walked down the stairs, Alex closely behind.

"Your little thing."

"What little thing?" Piper pushed the door to the entrance open. There were some South residents hanging around in the front yard. A few glanced their way, but most left them alone.

"The little thing you liked to do when you wanted to convince me that you cared," Alex said.

Piper kept walking along the graveled path, but briefly turned to glare over her shoulder at the brunette. "I hate it when you make it sound like I never really cared."

"Never mind me, Pipes. It's just a sort of defense mechanism I've learned since you left me." Alex gave the blonde a mocking grin, which earned her a light punch at her arm.

Consciously, Piper had slowed down, and now walked next to Alex as they headed towards the North Mansion. The sky was clear. The wind was mild, and the night was cold. Piper put her hands in her pockets, letting out foggy breaths. It was just a simple walk in the park, yet somehow this moment of serenity had proven to be what she had longed for the most ever since she arrived at this island.

"I didn't see you at trainings today. Where were you?"

"Were you spying on me?" Alex smirked.

The words stalled Piper. Guilt rose to her chest, and she quickly looked away to avoid any skeptical gaze. "I was just stating the obvious. You were absent."

"I needed a break. I can't do daily trainings like I used to. I've been lacking practices for a few years now. It's going to take some time to get fit again." Alex smiled. "And, to be fair, my trainings involved fighting a robot, not to test my powers at my own conveniences. Nothing like the princess treatment you get."

"I did not get any special treatment! Red thinks that I'm still too new for all this, and she wants me to be able to focus on my powers without harming others."

"Harming others? I'm pretty sure other residents could protect themselves from you just fine."

"I've put you in the infirmary recently. Have you already forgotten?" Piper crossed her arms across her chest.

"You're taking pride in beating me up, while knowing that I had no intention to fight back? Oh, Pipes." Alex rolled her eyes.

"I—I didn't mean to." Piper frowned in guilt. "Well, uh, it was just heat of the moment thing. Sorry, if I was a little rough."

"I'm still alive, aren't I?"

The taller woman smiled, and Piper had to look away again. It wasn't right. She didn't feel right when she already had Larry waiting. He hadn't received her calls for days, and for some reason, she knew that she should have been more restless and upset than she was now. But she just wasn't. It fucking killed her that her mind just couldn't function right whenever Alex was around. She knew that she had made the right decision to walk out of Alex's life four years ago, but somehow it looked as though she was being sucked back into the hellish cycle again.

"How did the trainings go, by the way? I hope Red didn't give you a hard time," Alex said.

"I had a levitation training today. I could fly for a bit. It's just not good enough."

"Give it time. There's always a first time for everything."

"Red wants me to focus on what I really need in order to fully control my powers, but…" Piper sighed in contempt. "I don't see why I should need my powers at all. I don't want it. I never wished for it."

Alex grimly nodded.

Piper only looked at her companion again when heavy silence grew between them. She glanced at Alex, wanting to catch a glimpse of those eyes behind the glasses. She had flown before, or at least, stopped herself in midair. She had done it once, but out of pure instinct. She had done it to save herself from what Alex did to her. It was such an irony that she was now walking alongside the very woman who had condemned her life to a living hell for the past four years, and still couldn't get enough of it.

Piper decided that maybe it was time to put it to test. Her powers needed a key, and perhaps, tonight could be the answer to everything. She halted in her tracks, and pulled Alex's arm back, successfully stopping the taller woman.

Alex looked puzzled as she stood, facing Piper. "What's wrong?"

Piper took a step closer. She grabbed Alex's hands and put them on her shoulders. She then put her hands on Alex's slim waist. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" Alex blinked in confusion, and then yelped in fright.

Piper looked down, noting how their feet had begun to lift off the ground, although slightly wobbly. She had to stifle her laugh at the panic look on Alex's face. "I'm sure that you have flown with Fiona before."

"Yeah, but it was her natural ability. She didn't need channeling her powers on levitation like you do," Alex griped. They were only a few meters off the ground, but Alex was visibly uneasy. "Pipes, I love you, but do you think we could do this some other time? It's getting late."

Piper rolled her eyes. "I can make it feel _natural_. Do not take so lightly of my powers."

"I'm serious. I got a book I wanna catch up on." Alex's gaze never left the ground.

"Red said that I need some sense of urgency to effectively channel my powers. A real life threat might just do the trick."

"Very well. Then I think you should wait for Red. I do not wish to be your test subject—whoooa—"

Grinning, Piper lifted them both higher. She laughed against the wind, watching the alarming look on Alex's face. Strangely, with Alex next to her, her acrophobia seemed to have vanished almost completely. "Hey. Hey, it's going to be ok. Relax." She pulled Alex closer and cooed into her ear. "Just don't let go of me. We'll be ok."

After a moment of hesitation, Alex obediently nodded, and closed her eyes. She hadn't said another word, and Piper wasn't sure if she could still find her voice.

Then Piper shuddered when Alex nuzzled her neck, breathing against her skin. She held the taller woman even tighter, unsure if her grip was already hurting her. She lifted her gaze up. Higher and higher, they dove into the cosmic pool of stars.

Carefully, Alex pulled back a bit, and opened her eyes again. She gasped, but Piper wasn't sure if it was out of fear or awe.

They continued to ascend, and the air grew colder and fiercer. Piper took a deep breath in. She had wanted to look down to see how high they had been above the ground. But nothing—no one—could take her gaze away from the woman in front of her. Noting Alex's stiffened posture, she pulled Alex closer in reassurance. And Alex tightened her grips on Piper's shoulders in return. Slowly, Piper leaned in, their foreheads finally touching. Their warm breaths mingled, their skin burn with desires.

"Don't let go," a shaken, husky whisper came.

Piper had no idea where they were now. They were surrounded by countless stars, moonlight bathing their faces. But those green eyes outshone all other stars around her, so blindly bright that Piper could not see clearly anymore. She just knew that she wouldn't—that she couldn't let go.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

"There goes my part-time job. I'm fucked." Nicky squinted up at the sky, making a sour face.

Standing next to her friend, Alex smiled as she watched Piper flying into the dusky, pinkish sky. They had been gathering in the back of the South Mansion. At an alarming speed, the sight of Piper and her 'passenger' quickly became a dark spot in the sky. Alex was proud of Piper. Only a few days after that night they had flown together, Piper had learned quickly, and was now able to steady her levitation. News travelled fast, and several residents had already approached Piper for short trips. To Piper's surprise, Ms. Claudette had been one of the first to ask. Apparently, an old friend of Claudette had fallen ill, and requested a meeting.

"Hungry? It's almost dinnertime," Nicky said, reluctantly glancing at Alex.

"I'm starving, really. They've been serving only corn soups for the past three days. Nothing else. Budget cuts. It says a lot when I say I'm hungry." Alex turned away, meaning to head back to the dorm, but Nicky pulled her arm back.

"Hey, uh… I was just thinking that maybe we could go get something to eat. My treat."

Alex paused for a second, studying her friend's face. "Is everything ok?"

Nicky groaned as she ran her hands through her big, blonde hair. "It's Morello."

"Again?"

"Yeah, _again_!" Nicky threw her hands up in the air.

"She's gonna come around. She always does." Alex chuckled, but stopped when her friend didn't smile back. It was unusual for Nicky; her confident, badass attitude was completely gone.

"I think she's serious this time. She… she said that he proposed." Nicky bit her bottom lip. "It's really over."

Nicky sounded so small, and it struck Alex hard. She had never seen her friend so vulnerable like this. Even though Nicky had always talked of how casual her affair with Lorna was, Alex knew that her friend truly loved the woman. "I… I just don't know what to do, Vause. It's not like I didn't know this was going to happen, but I just don't know how to deal with it. Not now." When tears began to well up Nicky's eyes, Alex stepped closer and put an arm around her shoulder.

"C'mere." Alex rubbed Nicky's arm. For some reason, the situation reminded her of Piper. No matter how passionate things had once been between them, she knew deep in her heart that Piper would always choose Larry, or the better selections out there. She was just a bad choice, and she couldn't blame Piper for it. Hell, Alex wouldn't choose 'Alex Vause' either. And, to be honest, Alex didn't know how to deal with it when Piper left. She had resorted to years of drugs, and a life of merciless hunts and kills, following orders like a robot, just to numb her pain.

Alex sighed. She shouldn't leave the island unless it was an urgency, but seeing the distress in Nicky's eyes just killed her. "Queens Comfort?"

Nicky looked up, frowning. "You just love that place. Any lovely waitresses I don't know about?"

"Come on, let's go." Alex smiled. Of course, she loved the restaurant. It was where Piper used to go get their breakfast when they were still together.

* * *

After sending Ms. Claudette off, Piper landed in the dark alley just a few blocks away from her apartment. Windswept hair, she hunched in the shadow, careful not to attract attention from passersby in the streets. She had so much fun flying that she had almost forgotten that flying outside of Litchfield was prohibited for good reasons, one of them being ordinary people would definitely freak out if they saw it.

Reaching her apartment, Piper buzzed the doorbell a few times, excitement filling her. The door swung open a moment later with a stunned Larry. Piper grinned from ear to ear and swooped into his reluctant arms.

"Piper? What are you doing here? H—how did you get here? They let you out?" Larry eventually hugged her back. His embrace became stronger, almost desperate to let go.

Piper pulled back, smiling. "Nope. I flew here on my own. They don't know about this. Don't tell your dad."

Larry frowned before pulling his girlfriend inside, and closed the door. "You what?"

Piper walked around smoothly, touching the table and chairs, the walls and curtains. She missed her place so much. The smell. The warmth. The magazines in the bathroom. The couch and TV. The familiarity of it all. She had thought that she had done fine in Litchfield—that perhaps she truly belonged there, but being back in here again just overwhelmed her. It suffocated her to think now of the moment she must leave again.

Piper sat down on the couch, smiling almost to herself. "I can fly now, Larry. I channeled levitation, and flew from the island! It's been only a few days, but I'm getting _really_ good at it. I can fly to anywhere now! Oh, wait, maybe not continental flight just yet. But isn't this great!?"

The expression on Larry's face was somewhere between awe and confusion. He just stood with his dark eyes wide, his arms hugged across his chest. He was in his usual, navy-colored sweater. His curly hair was thick and short just like last time they saw each other. Everything looked the same, smelt the same, but the only thing that had changed was her.

Then Piper realized how awkward it must be for Larry to hear her talk about his fiancée flying as if it was a normality. It was nothing remotely normal. "I'm sorry. I know it's just weird. I'm now officially one of those freaks. You didn't sign up for this." She sighed, tucking the blonde strands behind her ears.

Larry stared at her, but she wasn't sure if it was sympathy or resentment. She had never seen him so detached like this before.

"Is something wrong?" Piper asked.

"Is it that easy for you to let me go?"

Piper gaped. "What?"

"Have you realized that we haven't talked for eight days now? And when we finally met, all you talked about is your powers." Larry's jaw clamped tight.

Piper shot up from the couch and walked up to him, guilt rising in her chest. "Of course, I was so worried that you disappeared, Larry! That's why I'm here. Howard hasn't been at Litchfield either. I had no way to contact you. What's going on? Why didn't you pick up the phones? Where have you been?"

Larry briefly looked away before meeting her pleading gaze again. "I'm always here, Piper. It's you, who's been gone."

"That's not fair. You think I want to live there? That I enjoy my time there? With my freedom limited? Power trainings that can actually harm people physically? Have you seen what Litchfield looks like—"

"Yes, you like it there, especially when you have Alex with you." Larry walked away to stand next to the window instead.

Piper froze.

"I found out when I asked dad to release you for a day for us to get married. Now I know why you've been hesitant to marry me."

"That's not true!" Piper followed him to the window, but dared not touching him. Panic and dread filled her. "I… I just wasn't ready. It has nothing to do with Alex."

Larry stared at her hard. "You never mentioned that she was there. You kept it hidden from me. If I hadn't talked to dad—"

"Because it's not important! She..." Piper suddenly found her voice dry, her breath caught in her throat. She knew exactly what to say, what to do to make him forgive her. She knew just how to convince him, but she wasn't sure if she could convince herself at all. Sighing, she took a step closer to him, trusting that her voice was steady and calm. "Yes, Alex is there. But we weren't even on good terms—"

"But you are now?"

"Larry, I need allies in there. Those people are fucking scary! They're violent and aggressive people _with_ superpowers. They live on that island for very good reasons. You should have seen them fight. They wouldn't hesitate to kill you if you crossed them."

"And Alex will help you?"

Piper inwardly groaned, blood shooting up to her head. "Did you even listen to me? Are you not worried at all for my safety?"

Larry laughed bitterly. "Safe? With Alex? Have you forgotten what you told me how she treated you? She lied to you. She used you. And when you tried to leave, what did she do? Piper, have you forgotten? That woman is mad! And you gotta be even madder to still want to be friends with her!"

Piper briefly shut her eyes. "I know how this sounds."

"It sounds crazy!" Larry threw his hands up in exasperation.

"It _is_ crazy! It's fucking crazy to find out that I can move a fucking cruise ship at will! It's fucking crazy to find out that I can actually fly like a fucking superman! I... I attacked Alex on the first day I met her. I physically harmed someone, Larry. Out of anger. _Hate_. I could have killed her then... I almost did." Piper took a shaky breath in. "I'm losing my mind in there. I don't even know who I am anymore. Sometimes I felt that it's where I belong, but other times I just hated it there. I've missed my life. I do want it back. You're the only reminder of my normal life. Please, don't push me away."

After a long moment, Larry sighed, and his gaze softened. "I can't pretend to know what you're going through, because I'll never be one of you. But I don't think you've done anything wrong. Alex wronged you. Whatever you did to her, you shouldn't have to feel guilty about it. She's a wicked woman, you said so yourself. Why can't you find other friends in there? The one that's more trustworthy than that."

"She did it to protect me." Piper looked down.

Larry stopped, utterly speechless. "I'm sorry? Now, you're saying that she was protecting you? Before you left for Litchfield, Alex was the sole reason that has ruined our lives. What really happened in there, Piper? Did you two... Do you love her?"

"Love? I never thought—" Piper stalled, suddenly unsure of what to say. She hadn't the time to ask the question herself. What had happened? She could think of a million reasons to hate Alex, but every time her heart fluttered with just one look from her. For four years that they were apart, she kept believing that Alex was a lie, a scheme to corrupt her, and there had been no real love between them. The belief was the only thing to keep herself from going back to Alex. However, recent events had convinced her otherwise that perhaps Alex did love her at some point—that whatever they had was real. And the thought of the possibility alone let her heart take flight. She could fly so high into sky just because she thought that Alex loved her. It was that easy. It felt almost inevitable.

"Yes, I do." Piper listened her croaky whisper. She couldn't even recognize her own voice. It didn't sound like her. It didn't sound like someone in love. She sounded frightened. She was afraid that she was doing the wrong thing, feeling for the wrong person yet again. Here, she was, throwing away the years she had tried to leave behind. It had been all for nothing. Despite all that had happened, she had not learned a fucking thing.

* * *

_On the cold night, Alex stood along the sidewalk, gazing up at the window on the second floor of Piper's apartment. The curtains were open, revealing the well-lit room inside. She had tracked down this address by following Cal's girlfriend. She must admit that she was surprised how far Piper had taken to avoid her. Perhaps, it was really over between them._

_It had been a month since the car accident. Alex had returned home to find her apartment half empty. Piper had already packed her things and left. She had tried calling her, texting her, but had received no response. Fahri had seemed to believe the fake death, but Alex had known that it was only a matter of time before the syndicate would find out, if Piper remained in the states. Even though things seemed dire between them now, Alex had been hopeful that she could still somehow convince Piper to escape to Istanbul. This time, she would promise to leave with her, but there were things needed to be done before it could actually happen. _

_Alex was in a worn, denim jacket, a black t-shirt underneath and a pair of faded jeans. She ran a hand through her thick, raven hair as she watched the scene unfolded inside the apartment. It was, indeed, too late. Piper was moving about the room, her lips connected to the tall, dark-haired man, whose face Alex recognized as Dr. Madison, Alex's own doctor. It had been only a month, but Piper had already moved on. Alex's chest weighed like a ton of bricks, and her legs were chained to the spot. But she kept watching. She refused to look away—to give in. If it wasn't for herself, then it was for Piper._

_Alex exhaled a puff of smoke before tossing the cigarette butt down, crushing it with her heel. She crossed the street to Piper's apartment. She rang the bell once and waited. Surprisingly, it took only a few seconds for the door to swing open. Her hair a little messy, Piper froze by the doorway as she realized who the visitor was. Alex was puzzled even more that Piper had been so eager to answer the door, a distraction to the intimate session she was in, that the blonde didn't even bother to look through the peephole._

"_How did you find me?" Piper's voice came hoarse._

"_We need to talk." Alex kept her face straight, her voice calm. She succeeded._

_Piper tightened her white robe, keeping her gaze anywhere but on Alex. "There's nothing to talk about."_

"_Don't do this, Pipes. I've had my reasons. I don't think that you've realized how serious the situation is," Alex replied coolly, but her fists balled in her jacket pockets as Dr. Madison was rushing down the stairs._

"_Piper, who is it?" Dr. Madison came stop behind Piper. "Alex? What are you doing here? Are you all right? Is everything—"_

"_Everything's cool. I just need to talk to her." Alex cut him off. She was able to keep her calm only because she realized that he had no idea of her history with Piper. She had always been the invisible woman. After a year together, Piper had made sure that her family knew nothing about Alex. Perhaps, it was the way it was supposed to be. Perhaps, she was being too sentimental tonight. The longer Alex stayed with Piper, the weaker she had become. She didn't like it, and a part of her screamed for it to end now. Yes, she would end it, but there was one last thing she needed to do to ensure Piper's safety._

_After a moment of stupor, Piper began to shake her head, hugging her arms. "No, there's nothing to talk about. I'm tired. It's been… a long day." She mumbled almost to herself before turning briefly at Alex. "Please, leave. If you really need to, text me tomorrow—"_

_Alex pulled her hand out of the pocket and grabbed Piper's arm. She was startled to find that the blonde was literally shaking. Was it the chilly air? Was it the deadly situation that scared Piper? Or was it the pain she had caused Piper? Alex's grip on her woman was firm, but she knew that it was far from how secured Piper truly felt. She was hurting Piper. She was the pain. _

"_It'll just take a few minutes, Doc. I'll return her as soon as possible," Alex said, pulling Piper away from the doorway. Fleetingly, she caught the angry blue gaze. The hurt was palpable, and it was just painful to see._ Return her? _Alex had no intention to return Piper or give her up. She didn't know how she was able to say those words, but she just did. Those nights alone on the hospital bed. The pain she had to endure after the car crash. The way she breathed—the way she thought and behaved had become her self-defense mechanisms. As her mind raged back through the painful moments, anger fumed in her heart. It took Piper only a month to move on to the next, new thing, while Alex was still licking her physical and mental wounds. Blinded by rage, she tightened her grip on the blonde, dragging her and pulling her along the street. She could no longer tell who was hurting who._

_Everything became a blur, bruised and livid. Alex didn't know how they got there, crawling and yelling on the rooftop of the building opposite Piper's apartment. It must have been Piper trying to run away. It must have been what Alex had planned. Eventually, Alex winced as the pain from her wound started to register in her mind. She grunted as she released Piper, throwing the blonde against the concrete edge of the roof. _

"_How… how many times I have to repeat myself? I'm doing this for you, Pipes. It's all for you!" Alex breathed, one hand clutching over her chest. She found it painful to breathe each moment passed, and it infuriated her even more that she couldn't make Piper understand. Their time had run out. It was over between them, that much she was sure, yet she still couldn't say exactly what she truly felt._

"_For me? You fucking lied to me, Alex! Everything is a lie! I don't want to hear from you anymore. I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore!" Piper crawled away. The collar of her robe slightly slid down her slim, bony shoulders. Her bare knees reddened from the struggles against the concrete floor. Tears brimmed her eyes as she fiercely turned to Alex. "Get away from me! Leave me alone!"_

_Alex felt like her lungs had taken in a stab, but she ignored it. She approached Piper again and grabbed her arm, harshly pulling her up. "You have to leave, or they'd find out. You must think of your family, not just what you want."_

_Piper punched and kicked with all her might, trying to lose Alex's grip. "It's all your fault! I wouldn't be here, and my family would be safe, if only you stayed away! But you didn't. So, fuck you! Now, leave me the fuck alone!"_

"_I didn't make you this way. You were born this way! You can't deny what… what you truly are. You… have to understand," Alex panted, her hold on Piper weakened. The last thing she wanted was to be seen as weak, but she failed miserably when her knees buckled. She bent on the ground, her hand over her chest wound. She felt the soaked portion on her t-shirt, realizing that it had started bleeding again. _

_Panicking, Piper took the opportunity and ran, but Alex clumsily got up and seized her arm in time, spinning her around. "Let me go!"_

_Standing face to face now, Alex stared into the blue eyes. They used to soothe her, but now her heart just burnt in hate. Piper was screaming, but Alex was relentless. All she saw now was Piper leaving, moving on with someone else. All she saw was Piper wanting to be someone—something that she was not. All she saw was Piper hating everything that Alex was._

"_You haven't been listening," Alex said, her voice cold. "Your family needs you to make it right."_

"_Like you fucking care! I know the real you now, and I'm not scared of you!" Piper struggled as she was dragged backwards. Alex was inhumanly strong, considering her recent wounds from the crash._

"_I'm doing this for you. If I can't make you leave, then it has to be done. There will be the time when you have to fight them, so your powers are needed to be awakened." Despite the pain, Alex tightened her grasp on Piper. They moved through the wintry wind. They moved through their hate and rage—through their heartbreak and pain. They could see the disaster coming but they just didn't know how to avoid. Alex knew that there would be no going back. There would be no fixing this, but she had to do it._

"_Just fucking stay away from me!" Piper scolded, her face reddened._

_Alex swallowed all the pains she felt, pulling Piper so close to her that their faces almost clashed. "I will, when you can protect yourself!"_

"_Leave me—" Piper pushed at her former lover, and unexpectedly Alex's hold on her loosened. _

_Alex fell to her knees, bending in pain, when Piper found herself falling over the edge, only sharp, cold air underneath her._

_Blue eyes wide in horror, Piper screamed at the top of her lungs. She then squeezed her eyes shut as she fell off the eight-story building. Countless thoughts and memories shuffled madly in the few seconds that she had left before her life would be over. Out of nowhere, she could hear her mother's exact words, reprimanding her years ago when she had tried to expose her father's affair. She recalled how ecstatic she was to learn that she had been accepted into Smith. She could still feel the touch on Alex's bare skin as she caressed the woman's face when she was asleep. Their needy kisses. Their rushed whispers and tight embraces. Their kisses in pain. Their screams in anger. Their fears of knowing that there was no chance to turn this around. Piper howled as the train wreck of million thoughts crashing into her all at once._

_Then, everything stopped. _

_Piper could no longer hear the cars below. Not even the sound of wind. For a moment, she felt as though she had been capsulized, immobile in a space and time nonexistent in the real world. A second began to feel forever. Her body had gone rigid. Her hair hanging down like golden curtains, her robe had stopped flailing against the wind, but draping down the horizontal position of her body. She opened her eyes again to find herself about a meter above the pavement, her body floating in midair. She had no absolutely no idea what was going on, why or how it happened. She could no longer cry out. Her voice was gone. Hot tears streamed down her face and pooled over the asphalt. She began to shake, and then dropped on the ground. The landing didn't hurt all that much, but her heart had already broken into a million pieces. _

* * *

Leaning against the wall, Piper looked out at the busy street just outside her apartment. She loved seeing people moving about, going on with their businesses. She loved the liveliness of it, the sounds of laughter and chatter, the clicks of the heels, the unnecessary honking. It reminded her of the days of her ordinary life that she knew she would never have again. She recalled the night Alex had triggered her powers—the first time she flew. It was out of instinct. Out of pure fright. But she spent a few years after the incident in fury and suppression, refusing to believe what she truly was, trying to forget who she had loved—who had cruelly thrown her down this road. Only after Cal's incident that she finally surrendered and tried to understand her full potentials at Litchfield. She had now come in full circle again, learning of the sole reason to take flight: to save the ones she loved.

Piper took a deep breath in before turning to look at her fiancé in the eyes. "Yes, I love her," she whispered. It sounded strange even to her ears. It sounded foolish and crazy. But if years of regrets had failed to erase it from her heart, maybe it was time she must confront it instead of running away.

There was a long moment of silence between them, and even the noises outside couldn't fill the emptiness anymore. Larry took a step back, straightened up as he looked at her. His gaze was dark, clouded by remorse and resentment. She had never seen him this way, but then she had never expected herself to come to this point either.

"You know that we can never fix this," Larry said with finality.

Piper heeded his remark. She, too, was scared at the turning point, but there was nothing that could stop her now. "I know."

* * *

"Try this. The cheese here is _so_ good." Alex looked through the menu as if she needed to. She knew Queens Comfort menu like the back of her hand. Piper would know what to order for her, and Alex her.

Nicky chewed the toothpick, leaning back in her seat. "Just order anything. I can eat a cow now."

"Wanna order some takeout for Lorna, too?"

"Why would I do that for the bitch?" Nicky growled.

"You always do that."

Nicky rolled her eyes. "That was before she decided to run off with him. Exclusively forever. Let her starve."

Alex chortled. She then waved for the waitress, having the orders on her mind already. But what caught her attention beside the young, ginger-haired waitress moving towards their table was the harsh swing of the front door. Two men in black entered. They were tall, dark men. They turned around, searching for something—someone. Instinctively, Alex knew just what they were here for. She shot up from her seat, while Nicky looked bewildered, the toothpick fallen from her lips. Her right fist felt like fire as she mustered up the energy. Her skin was burning. It hurt every time, yet it felt so natural. It scorched her bones, her blood boiling. The first bolt of lightning shot from Alex's right hand and went straight at the first man's heart. Her aim was precise and vicious, and the man was sent backwards, crashing against the wall. Smell of burnt skin radiated through the restaurant. Other customers shrieked as they got up from their tables and stampeded towards the door.

The second lightning bolt struck down at the second man, but he quickly rolled behind the nearest counter, narrowly escaping.

_Fuck._ Alex inwardly grumbled. She had been too lenient, and Kubra's men had found her.

"Vause!" Nicky shouted.

Alex hadn't the moment to care what her friend was doing. Another bolt of lightning struck the counter, splitting it in half. The smell of burning wood filled the entire diner. Alex struck again at the body bending behind the counter, electrocuting him right at the spot.

"Vause! Watch out—"

All of a sudden, Alex felt a nasty jolt at her left shoulder. The force was strong enough to spin her off balance, and she fell onto her side. Her heart was beating hard and fast, so much so that it hurt against her chest. She commanded herself to get up, but her body disobeyed.

Nicky rushed to Alex, trying to pull her up. "What the fuck is happening here!? I'm getting us out—"

Her glasses fallen off, Alex squinted up at her friend when Nicky's grasp on her suddenly loosened. Nicky tumbled backwards, and almost softly she slouched down on the floor, a hand on her chest. A patch of crimson slowly emerged on Nicky's sweater.

"Nic—" Alex scrambled up to her feet, but a blast shot down through the roof, and debris fell between them. Alex had to back away to avoid the wreckages. "Nic… Nicky!" She coughed in the fume of dust.

"She's over there! Next to the counter!" A shout came through the front door.

Turning to the source of voice, Alex only had a murky view of a group of men rushing into the diner. There were about five or six of them, but she hadn't the time to properly count. Her right hand forwards, she immediately struck a lightning bolt into the ground, leaving a deep trench in its destructive wake. The force sent a few men to the walls, the others thrown out through the windows. Two more lightning bolts struck the thick trees along the sidewalk, breaking them in halves. The logs fell upon the black cars parking outside, crushing down the roofs. Several men scrambled out of the ruined vehicles, yelling to one another for covers.

Alex involuntarily bent at the growing pain on her shoulder. For now, it seemed that she had kept them at bay, but how many more were out there? She had let her guard down, and it changed the whole game. She had ended up endangering both her friend and her own life. Frustrated, she turned around, trying to find Nicky in the smoky diner.

"Nicky!" Alex spotted her friend and rushed towards her direction. However, she was suddenly pulled away from her path. A rough, metallic hand had gripped her injured shoulder, thrusting her back against the nearest wall. She choked for air, twisting at the growing pressure on her shoulder. Her feet kicking above the ground, she looked up to see a body of steel before her. Its deadly grip told her that this disastrous night wasn't about to end quickly.

"Va… Vause—" Nicky called out between her bloodied coughs.

Alex gripped the metallic hand around her neck, kicking at the attacker. "Go… now, Nicky!"

Nicky's eyes were filled with horror as she tried to sit up. She could barely keep her eyes open. "But—"

"NOW!" Alex shouted as a blast of lightning came through the roof outlet, striking viciously at the steel figure in front of her. Smell of burn fumed as dust clouded the entire diner. Alex felt the rugged hand leaving her neck, and she collapsed onto the floor, coughing hard. When she looked up again, she was content that Nicky had already disappeared. However, her attacker was nowhere to be found. She carefully got up. Green eyes searching in the dark, hazy diner. Lights from the street shone in through the broken windows and walls, but the dust greatly limited her already poor vision. It became so quiet, but she knew that it wasn't over yet. Far from it.

Breathing hard, Alex straightened up as much as she could, readying herself. She stared straight at the doorway, counting the millisecond for another attack. Warm blood trickled down her arm, mingling with the hot, blue, electric currents around her trembling fist.

* * *

Ms. Claudette stared at Piper. "You look awful. What happened?"

Standing along the busy street, Piper looked away from her 'passenger', quietly annoyed. "How was your meeting with him?"

"Good. He'll recover in a few months. Old age. How was _your_ meeting with him?"

Piper took in a deep breath. "Uh, well… Nothing interesting. We—we broke up. No more wedding."

Ms. Claudette paused for a moment. "For someone like Vause? Are you sure?"

"No, it's for me. I..." Piper stopped, and then sighed. "I just want to be true to myself. I need it."

"That's a start." Ms. Claudette nodded approvingly. With long sleeves and gloved hands, she put her arm around Piper's shoulder. "Shall we go then?"

It was a little hard to fly in the dark. The wind was harsh and freezing at night, and Piper only smiled at the scarf around her neck. Alex had told her to wear one before the flight, worried that Piper might catch a cold from flying at night. As she cherished the warmth around her neck, she couldn't wait to get back and see Alex again, even if it was just a brief 'good night'.

It took Piper about twenty-five minutes to fly across the sea. Landing safely in the back of the infirmary, Piper took a few glances around, making sure no one had seen them. Last thing she wanted was to get into trouble with authority, especially how Healy had been watching her intensely lately. There was always something odd about that man. His stares. The way he looked at her up and down. And the fact that he hated lesbians with a passion deeply disturbed her.

"Well, thank you, Chapman. I will make sure to find the book you've been looking for as the payment." Ms. Claudette adjusted her jacket and tightened her gloves. Then, she offered a small smile for Piper, which in itself was a rare occurrence.

Piper couldn't help but smile back. It was the first smile she could make after losing Larry. She had thrown her safety net away—her future, but somehow she couldn't feel upset enough. It almost felt like a relief, a newfound freedom. The unknown path scared her very much. She had not an absolute idea how Alex felt towards her now, or how serious Alex was with Jessica, yet she took the plunge and broke it off from Larry. It had to be the bravest, yet stupidest thing she had ever done.

Quietly, they walked around the building and reached the entrance of the infirmary.

Piper stopped first. "Good night, Ms. Claudette."

"Ms. Claudette! Ms. Claudette, help!" It was Daya rushing through the doorway. Her face was sweaty, and her blue gown and gloves were bloodied. The sight sent a chill down Piper's spine.

Ms. Claudette turned to the nurse, a deep frown on her face. "What is it?"

"Nichols has been shot! She's just returned less than half an hour ago. We stopped the bleeding, but she's going into cardiac arrest," Daya tried to explain with the calmest voice she could muster.

Piper froze, her blood running cold. Last time she had seen them, Nicky was with Alex. It would not surprise her if they had gone somewhere together after Piper left. "Is… Alex with her? Is she all right?" she whispered, her voice coarse and dry.

Ms. Claudette rushed into the infirmary, grunting. "What a mess!"

Daya took a short moment to turn to Piper and said, "I don't know. Nichols returned alone." Then, she disappeared into the building as well.

Piper stood in the front yard, her head reeling from all the possibilities running through her head. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!_ Judging from Alex's situation with her old faction, Piper couldn't understand why the brunette took the risk to leave the island. Her clenched fists trembled in anger at the turn of the event. She was mad at Alex's recklessness. She was mad at herself for leaving Alex alone, again, for failing to be there to protect her.

It took Piper a while before she could pull herself together and entered the infirmary. She walked down the dark corridor, listening to the distant yelling from the emergency room. Her heart ached as her body numbed. She stopped by the ER and peeked inside. The sight of Nicky lying unconscious on the bed, blood everywhere, shook Piper to the core. She worried for Nicky, but at the same time her stomach sank at the most terrible thought that kept thundering in her mind.

_Alex._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

_Leanne and another waitress were on sick leave today. Queens Comfort was two employees short, and Piper could already see how it was affecting the restaurant. The two new waitresses they had just hired were running around, taking orders and taking turn to pick up the phone for more orders. Sitting by the counter, waiting for her foods, Piper noted the discontented looks on some of the customers' faces. A few tables were left unattended. The phone kept ringing. Drinks hadn't been served. And there were more customers coming in, waiting by the entrance, while no one was available to seat them._

_Piper fought the urge to pick up the phone and receive the orders for them, knowing the menu like the back of her hand. She had memorized the prices listed for all dishes. She had enjoyed the luxuries and adventures Alex provided her, but she had tried to become more economical seeing how easily Alex spent her money. Often times Piper felt that it was as good as throwing money into the gutter. Alex was reckless with almost everything, and always brushed any problems aside with a laugh. Piper thought that she could be the one to start the change. Indirectly she tried to influence Alex's spending on little things like their breakfast and grocery shopping. Alex hadn't caught on, and let Piper do whatever she wanted. Piper felt rather proud that, as she had secretly kept notes on how they had been spending, she was able to save Alex 2,158.79 dollars for last month alone._

"_Here's your order, Piper! We're so sorry! It's just been so incredibly busy today!" One of the waitresses came to the counter with the white paper bag in her hands. It had been about fifty minutes wait._

_Piper had already paid. She smiled and took the food. "Don't worry about it." She paused for a second, thinking about offering some help, but remembered that Alex had probably gotten up and was waiting for her breakfast._

_As soon as Piper left the restaurant, she ran into the person that was entering. She yelped out. "Sorry! I didn't see... Alex? What are you doing here?" Blue eyes immediately brightened. The sight of messy-headed Alex pushing the glasses up her nose, those raised brows as she spoke, easily put a beam on Piper's face._

"_What have you been doing, Pipes? It's been almost an hour. I thought something happened."_

_Alex softly took Piper's arm and guided her away from the entrance. They both began to walk back home._

"_They are two workers short, so it's a super busy morning. Aw, baby, you must be starving."_

"_Yeah, I am. But I was more worried about you. You could have at least called and tell me what's going on." Alex pouted. She put her fists into her jacket's pockets._

_Piper turned to watch Alex's frown, and she couldn't help but smile wider. Alex never walked to the restaurant, so it particularly touched Piper. "It's been only an hour… but thanks for coming." She leaned in closer, teasing her lover with a grin._

"_C'mere." Alex put an arm around the blonde's slim shoulder, and drew her close. _

_Piper was holding the takeouts. Alex had a cigarette between her fingers in her free hand. They chuckled with each other before leaning in for a kiss. Piper tasted the tobacco, and Alex tasted the hunger. Together, they blended into the crowd. The day was as normal and blissful as Piper could ever wish for._

* * *

The street was dead quiet. The passersby had steered clear from the site. The entire block was sealed off with barricade tapes. A few police cars and several civilian ones were left, flipped or damaged, scattered or pushed aside along the pavement, where Piper and Alex had once walked on.

Queens Comfort stood, broken and covered in dust. The restaurant's huge neon sign hung to the floor, blocking the entrance with the entangled web of wires. Half of the building's roof was gone, and most of the windows were broken, shards of glass littered along the sidewalk.

Piper took a deep breath in at the shocking sight of one of the most revisited places in her memories. It was one of a few places she held dear in her good memories with Alex. Her clenched fists trembled by her sides. Her eyes watered, and warm tears threatened to slide down her cheeks. Her lips parted a little as she sucked in a breath of air, needing it. She had seen some of the damages from the news websites, while she was searching for Alex's whereabouts. Considering that Nicky had been shot, she had suspected that there must have been some incident involving the 'gifted' people. Perhaps a brawl, and it could be on the news. It had deeply shaken her to find what had happened to Queens Comfort only two hours ago. Approximately twenty-seven people were injured. Eight deaths. No names had been given yet. Piper's heart sank while reading the news, but seeing it with her own eyes now just killed her inside.

Piper forced herself to take a step closer to the restaurant. Her steps were shaky, but she did move forwards. She glanced around a bit, trying to avoid looking into the restaurant for the longest she could, fearing what she would find inside.

Gradually, the debris in front of the entrance were lifted. The curtain of dust was pushed aside. Piper stepped into Queens Comfort. Dark and cold. She could feel every touch of dust against her skin. She could feel her own breath weighed in her lungs. She could feel the cracks on the floor as if it were her own skin. She could feel the hole in the roof as if it were a hole in her own heart. She raised a hand, and the flipped, broken tables were mounted into the corners, giving her way to move forwards. Glancing around, she noted how the counter, where she once frequented, had been blasted into pieces. Splinters of woods were scattered everywhere. Her every step cracked with something underneath. As she searched, dread filled her heart. Then, she stopped.

_Blood_.

The smear of crimson made a scruffy, unflattering map on the floor. Piper gulped as she stared at those hideous stains. It could have been anybody's blood. Anyone at all. She took in a deep breath and walked further into the building, the rubbles pushed from the path like the slow opening of Red Sea. Then she saw more drops of blood. The crimson became a trail that led into the kitchen. She squinted in the dark, following the trace. Someone was bleeding rather heavily. The bloodied footprints looked to be size ten, and Piper's chest tightened. It was about Alex's size after all. Passing through the wreckages, she eventually followed the blood trail out the backdoor of the kitchen and deeper into the alley. Then, the trail stopped. It simply vanished. Frowning, she turned around, trying to look for other clues. Alex couldn't have just disappeared like that. The woman couldn't fly or teleport, and she was wounded on top of everything. At the thought, Piper spun around, again and again, frustrated as she searched for any clues at all. Where did Alex go? How could one just disappear—

Piper froze when she looked up. Heavy bloodstains painted the wall a few feet above her head level. There was also a sizable hole on the wall as though someone had punched through it. Someone or something, big and strong. Most likely, it wasn't caused by an ordinary human.

Piper bit her bottom lip, and walked up to the opposite building, where the broken wall was. The door struggled for a moment before it was unlocked, and opened. She then rushed in, frantic as she looked around the building. Apparently, it was a lobby of an apartment complex. She moved along the narrow corridor that led to the front entrance of the building, but halted when a shadowy figure appeared from the room to the right. The silhouetted figure was tall and thick. His head was only a few inches below the doorframe.

Piper stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes narrowed, trying to make the contour of his face. But then she realized that his skin looked different. Steel. His whole body was made of steel. He had stopped in the middle of the corridor, staring back at her. His eyes were glossed with metal, but she could still feel his intense gaze upon her. She had been in Litchfield for over a month now, and the sight of a superhuman shouldn't have startled her anymore, but it still did. It fucking did.

Shifting on her feet, Piper eventually straightened up. "Where's Alex?" Her voice was a little shaken, and she hated it. She could feel his grin even though not a single muscle on his face moved.

He tilted his head a little. His stare was cold—curious. "Chapman… You must be Piper Chapman."

At the utter of her name, Piper stiffened. She glowered at him, her heart pounding in anger. Who was this man? Who were those people trying to kill Alex? "Where is Alex? I'm not going to ask again." Her voice came low and dangerous this time, and she meant every word of it.

It took him a moment before he spoke again. "There'd been an attempt to arrest her for her crimes. But she got away. However, I did anticipate that her friends would come find her… I just didn't expect that it would be you."

Piper briefly closed her eyes. She held back the sigh of relief. Alex got away. Alex was safe, wasn't she? "Her… her crimes?" she questioned, frowning as she studied him.

"Mr. Balik is a generous man, but also collects his debts when they're due. Alex Vause must pay."

_The boss. They're with Fahri, too._ Piper paused as dark thoughts entered her mind. She recalled Nicky's blood smearing the corridor inside the infirmary. She couldn't get the sight of blood on Queens Comfort's kitchen floor out of her head. She could see every detail of how Queens Comfort was ruined in her head. These people would never leave Alex alone until she was dead. Piper had guessed by now that hiding the real 'Piper Chapman' away four years ago wasn't the only crime Alex had done. Alex must have been too deep in her shits to need to escape and put Diane in a safe house. Alex getting away this time just wasn't enough.

_Not enough. Far from it._

Without another word, Piper sent the man smashing at the wall, again and again until his body bore a hole through it. She picked him up from the floor and rocketed him through the roof of the five-story building. He exited with a loud crash, rolled in the air and landed on the deck of the adjacent building.

Piper ascended through the new opening of the roof, and steadied herself in the air. She glowered down at him. Even if Alex got away, it still didn't mean that she was safe and still alive. Nicky barely made it back to Litchfield, and was now still going through the operation. Alex could be lying dead anywhere by now. At the thought, rage stormed through Piper's heart, and blue eyes darkened.

He was trying to get up, but his body was then snatched off the ground, lifted into the air, so that his face was leveled with Piper's. He then cried as his steel arms and legs started to turn in unnatural angles. The sounds of metal grating pierced through the cold air.

_No, it wasn't enough._

"Please! Stop!" He struggled in the air, helpless against her powers. "Stop!"

"You hurt her," Piper stated. She watched him writhe as if he was tortured by an invisible whip of fire.

The man hollered at the top of his lungs as his right forearm was twisted more and more, blood seeping through the metallic skin.

Out of the blue, a bolt of lightning struck, the sound of thunder blasting from the distance. Piper stopped at once, and looked up. It seemed that the lightning had hit near the pier. Her heart raced at the sign of the lightning striker. Alex was still alive and near.

"The police... they... they must have found her," the man breathed.

Piper turned to him, scowling. She was deciding whether to finish him off to get rid of future threats, but then she needed to get to Alex now. Alex could be in serious trouble, and she didn't want to waste another second being away from the brunette.

The man took a deep breath in before nodding. "Don't go. You don't know. You have no idea what she's done—aaaaaaah!" He cried out as his body suddenly descended, landing hard on the pavement below. Piper had let him free fall, and flew away. If it hadn't been for his steel body, he would have been broken into pieces. Lying on his stomach, he took a few moments to catch his breath, groaning in pain. His arms were badly sore. His legs were trembling with pain. He hadn't underestimated Piper's powers, but her will to kill. She had literally tried to dismember him, and she would most certainly succeed if not for the interruption.

_Piper Chapman... Piper..._

He looked up at the night sky. They had finally met again.

* * *

Wind sweeping her hair back, Piper accelerated her flight towards the pier. When she reached the destination, she swirled high in the air as to avoid being seen by the pedestrians below. Her gaze was searching along the large pier. There had been only one strike of lightning so far, but the pier now appeared empty. Where had Alex gone? Where were the police officers who were after Alex? It was too quiet for Piper's liking.

Carefully, Piper landed behind the nearest building. When she was certain that no one had spotted her, she came out from the hiding place. She scanned the area for any sign of Alex, walking deeper along the pier. Hot, bright light from the streetlights pooled over her. Each step forward—each moment passed by in agony as darkness was all she saw ahead of her. Alex was gone, wasn't she? Her hands began to shake in fears and uncertainties that she had to clench her fists to still them. Then, as if her fears were answered, a blast of lightning hit again. The sound resonated from her left. She could hear men yelling at one another and the hurried footsteps that followed. She flinched as gunshots began to echo through the area. Without another thought, she ran past the buildings, going around towards the scene.

There it was. Piper came up behind two police cars. There were six cops around as far as she could see in the dark. It appeared that the streetlights in this section of the pier had somehow overheated and exploded, leaving everything under the moonlight. Gunshots continued, and Piper looked on. She counted five bodies, scattered on the ground, lying as still as rocks. Surely, they were dead, and it was likely that Alex killed them. Piper froze at the thought, her heart heavy with dread and worries. The mess was bigger than she had anticipated, but all she cared now was to get Alex away from this. Even just for tonight.

Another blue bolt hit at the police car nearest to where Piper was standing, and the cops and Piper were sent off their feet by the impact. Lying on her back, it took Piper a few minutes before she could catch her breath, or felt her skin again. The ringing in her ears eventually subsided. The right side of her face and body were numb.

_Fuck...what was that? _Slowly, Piper lifted her shoulders up, staring ahead. Her vision was a little blurry. _Alex? _She then scrambled up to her feet and crawled out from behind the damaged car. She looked around for the lightning striker, and then she spotted Alex kneeling by the edge of the pier, hiding behind one of the civilian cars.

"Alex… Alex! Alex!" Piper shouted, running towards the raven-haired woman.

"Ma'am, no!" Piper heard one of the cops yelling behind her. Shooting had quickly resumed again, but she was already halfway towards Alex, coming between the brunette and the police officers.

"Alex! Alex, it's me!" Piper called out, whilst she kept running.

"Piper?" With some difficulty, Alex slightly leaned forwards to peek beyond the barricade that was the car she was leaning against, squinting in the dark. She had lost her glasses at Queens Comfort, and it had been nothing short of a miracle that she had actually managed to defend herself against Kubra's men and the police officers this far. She didn't expect any helps from Litchfield at all, or if they would know of her whereabouts. Now, Piper's presence both surprised and scared her at the same time. "Piper! No!" Alex shot out from behind the car, reaching for the blonde. She blindly blasted another bolt of lightning at the cops to keep them at bay. She hastily grabbed Piper's arm, but Piper jerked off her grasp, wincing.

"Fuck! Ah, fuck! What the fuck, Alex!?" Piper clutched her arm, bending and struggling in pain.

Only then that Alex noted the blue currents around her fists. She had unintentionally, though fortunately only mildly, electrocuted Piper. The blue light then disappeared. Her control over her powers always went crazy whenever she was exhausted or wounded. "Shit, sorry!" She cursed, but quickly dragged Piper away and shove her behind the car.

Piper was thrown to the ground, but her head shot up as the police officers began firing again. They were relentless, and Piper was reluctant to harm them, unlike Kubra's men. _Dammit._ She looked over her shoulder, and was startled to see that Alex was still standing, one hand over her ribcage wound. Bullets whizzed past the brunette, much to Piper's horror. "Alex! Get down!" She turned around and pulled Alex down with her. Her grip was strong, and Alex gracelessly fell on top of her. Their faces nearly crashed against each other, their ragged breaths mingled. It alarmed Piper, scaring her at the same time that Alex's weight felt significantly lighter than she had recalled. Perhaps—no, surely, Alex had looked paler and skinnier than Piper had once remembered.

A bullet bounced off the ground near Piper's head, and she snapped out of her thought. She blushed slightly as the piercing green gaze stared down at her. She pushed Alex up a bit, and was puzzled to feel the dampness around Alex's right shoulder. "Al... Al, you're bleeding!" Blood was seeping through Alex's shirt, soaking down Piper's hand that was supporting the woman's weight. Under the moonlight, Alex appeared as white as a sheet. There were nasty cuts on her face and body. Possibly, the wounds were received during her fight with Kubra's men; Piper doubted that the police officers could get near Alex like that. The brunette was visibly shaken, her breathing shallow. It had been more than two hours since the fight started. She had been blasting her powers with her wounded condition that she was most definitely seeing stars now.

All Alex could do at the moment was a slight shake of her head. "I… I'm fine—"

But Piper yelped when Alex's eyes rolled back into her skull, the woman falling on top of her without restraint. "Alex! Alex! Stay with me, Al!" She grunted in annoyance at the ceaseless gunshots. Panic rushed through her when she could hear footsteps coming closer. The cops were closing in on them. _Fuck it!_ She sat up and pulled the limping Alex close, one arm snaking around the woman's waist. She waved her free hand, and the cars, along with the cops, were propelled away like leaves in the fierce wind. She couldn't care less now if she had hurt them. She had her priority.

"Ah!" Piper winced a little as blood dripped down her right cheek. A tear involuntarily rolled down her cheek at the sharp sting. Apparently, she had missed a few bullets, and one of them had cut through the air, slicing her face. She quickly looked down at Alex's unconscious form in her hold. She knew then that not another minute was to be wasted.

Piper pushed herself up to her feet, pulling Alex up against her. She wouldn't be able to hold Alex up to a standing position with her normal strength alone. Scooping Alex up with both arms, 'grateful' was all she felt. It was one of a few times she was thankful for her superpowers. Before the cops could get up to their feet again, Piper conjured up the energy at her feet, the force shooting her upwards. Flying as high as she could, she rocketed across the sea, heading eastwards where Litchfield Island was. Each second was agony as sharp, cold wind broke at her skin, tears pricking at her eyes. But everything was going to be all right now. It had to be.

Piper had no sense of time when she finally spotted the island in the dark. Moonlight reflected upon the green grass, and she landed unceremoniously onto the lawn in front of the infirmary.

_Ouch, that hurts._

Piper groaned as she lied on her stomach. Her energy much spent, she nearly fell asleep right there, but the distant yelling pulled her away from slumber. Blue eyes glanced up. She saw Jessica Wedge along with a few other residents running towards her. They must have heard about Nicky and the attack at Queens Comfort. Having seen the damages firsthand, Piper had no doubt that this fight wouldn't stop just between the superheroes. It had now included ordinary people, and the damages were far too great to be ignored.

Her eyes wide, Jessica had stopped next to Alex, shaking her good shoulder. Jessica's mouth was wide open, presumably yelling at someone—something, but Piper couldn't hear her. Her heart was in her throat, and her body went rigid and cold.

_Alex…_ Slowly turning to lie on her side, Piper watched Alex's pale face as the others began to haul her away. The raven-haired woman looked strangely peaceful like a sleeping child. Piper wanted to call out, but she couldn't hear her own voice. She tried opening her mouth again, but nothing came out of it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The incident at Queens Comfort happened a week ago, and Diane hadn't heard from her daughter since. It might have been just a coincidence, but knowing that there were 'gifted' people involved, Diane just knew that something was up. Her daughter had always been _the_ trouble, or troubles just came to her.

Her worry for her daughter's safety was her priority, but there had been other 'worries' as well. She had promised to lend her former husband 130,000 dollars, but him being the smooth talker as he had always been, and her being the ever predictable idiot who never learned her lessons, she ended up wiring him a total of 345,000 dollars. Diane knew that, if given the chance, she would do it again. She knew it, and Lee knew it. But deep guilt was killing her. It was Alex's money, given to her for safety reasons, but here she was, wasting it on the man who had never cared about their daughter. There was enough savings left to guarantee Diane a safe, comfortable life, but she was rather certain that Alex would not want to waste a dime on this man.

Diane sighed as she set down the cup of coffee on the table in the living room. At this moment, the only positive thing she could think of was that 'Alex Vause' hadn't been on the list of injured or dead. She had expected at least a call from her daughter, considering how big and disastrous 'Queens Comfort' news was, but there had been no words.

"Dammit," Diane cursed when she slightly spilled her coffee. Dark rings under her eyes, her usually luminous blue eyes were now dull from exhaustion. She didn't want to fall asleep, fearing that she might miss a call from her daughter. It reminded her of the days and weeks in which Alex had been absent, the agonizing wait ended by a phone call from the hospital informing her that her daughter had been in a car accident. The accident happened four years ago, but it still shook Diane from time to time. Alex was all Diane had left.

Diane grumbled to herself. She had to do something. She had to think of something. She couldn't just wait for her daughter like this. Something must have happened to Alex. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Lee's number.

"Diane?"

"I… I need your help," Diane said, choking on her own words.

"What happened? Are you all right? What's going on?"

"Alex is missing. She hasn't contacted me for a week now. I need you to help me find her. Last time she called me, she was still in Litchfield. Please, Lee, if you know someone who could help."

"Wait... Shit, Diane. Does this have something to do with what happened at Queens Comfort? I saw the news. That was one huge fuck-up mess! Was our kid in on it?"

Diane sighed heavily. "I don't know. I don't know anything. I don't even know if she's still alive—"

"Whoa, Diane, calm down! I'm sure she's fine. Our baby is a superhero! I'm sure that she can take care of herself. Where are you? If you're scared, you can come stay with me. We'll figure something out."

Diane paused. "No, I can't leave."

"Why not? Where are you...? Diane, you're worrying me… Diane…?"

Diane held the phone tightly to her ear, her heart racing in anguish and fears.

* * *

Pain. Enormous pain began to weigh down on her body, and Alex struggled to move, or even to breathe. Shivering, she could feel her back soaked in sweat. Slowly, and with difficulty, green eyes fluttered open. Her lips were parched, and her throat was burning. She winced at the cold air in her lungs, twisting on the hard bed.

The same set of fluorescent lights above. The same cold ceiling. Alex realized that she was in the SHU. Again.

Alex blinked a few times. She was dazed, her vision hazy. She couldn't quite remember what happened or why she was confined again. Was it a brawl with other residents? Did they find out about Nicky's iPhone hidden in her room? Were they— Alex froze. All of a sudden, the image of Nicky bleeding on the floor of Queens Comfort entered her mind. It came in flashes. Hot, dangerous flashes of blood, urgent screams and angry shouts. They were attacked at the diner. Kubra's men found her, and they shot Nicky.

_Nicky!_

At the thought of her friend, Alex tried to sit up, but instantly fell back down. Only then she took notice of the tubes and wires around her. She weakly clenched her fists, her breaths shallow. It tired her just to breathe—to keep her eyes open. Burying her face in the pillow, she whimpered as the pain from the wounds on her left shoulder and ribcage intensified. She then recalled crawling on the floor of the diner, dodging bullets left and right. She remembered too well of the poundings and beatings from the steely man. She grumbled as she tried to remember more of his features. It seemed that Kubra never ran out of dangerous thugs at his disposal.

"It's good to see you awake, Vause. Try not to move too much. We'll inform Mr. Bloom now."

Alex opened her eyes at Mr. Claudette's voice coming through the intercom. "Why... am I here?"

"It is for your own safety."

Alex chuckled at the answer, but her body rocked it out in a series of painful, dry coughs instead. She lied limply on the bed, exhausted just to try to catch her breath.

"You'd been unconscious for a week. Don't push yourself," Ms. Claudette continued, "We have—"

Then a shout interrupted, but the voice was too murky through the intercom that Alex couldn't tell who it was. Or perhaps her mind was still heavy. Her body ached so badly, her skin and bones felt like breaking. Her energy was completely depleted. She wanted to curl up but failed. Moving an arm had proven to be an arduous task already.

"Please... I... see her. Please..." A female voice continued distantly.

After a few moments, the door slid open. Without her glasses, Alex squinted. A slender figure in a gray hoodie was rushing through the door. The height. The blonde head. Alex immediately knew just who it was. Then the beaming face came to hover only a few inches above hers. Tears brimmed the bright, blue eyes. Piper smiled so widely, showing off her perfect teeth.

"Alex… oh, God, Alex," Piper murmured as she planted kisses on Alex's face, both hands roaming over her head.

Alex lied flat on the bed. Her groggy mind was trying to register what Piper was doing here. Was she dreaming? She was in the SHU, but Piper could still visit her. She had been out for a whole week? Was it that bad? She wondered if there would be any permanent damages to her health. She wondered many things, but her fears were gradually washed away as the warmth from Piper's hands began to burn into her skin. The shivers of her body started to subside at Piper's proximity. Piper's gaze was kind, yet intense, studying her for the longest moment, and Alex was lost in those eyes.

"You're… you're back. Thank God," Piper whispered. Her tone was needy. Urgent.

Alex had to stop and think, taking in the image before her. There was a look of pain, but also joy in Piper's eyes. Now that she had spent a few moments to study the younger woman, Piper looked exhausted, dark rings under her bloodshot eyes. Her face was gaunt, and her skin looked a little dull.

"You lost so much blood, and you went into shock... Awful. It was just awful. I… I really thought I lost you."

Alex blankly gazed up at the pair of the bluest eyes above her. She wasn't sure what she was hearing. But there was genuine concern in Piper's voice. The trembling touches of Piper's hands on her face. _Love._ She saw love in those teary eyes. Was it even possible? Piper spoke some more. She was unstoppable. It was as though she had been prohibited to talk for a while, and now it just poured out of a broken dam. Alex wasn't even sure if she was truly awake. This wasn't a dream, was it? But even if this was death, she would gladly take it. Before darkness claimed her, she was _found_ again.

* * *

The pain was back, penetrating through the thick, cold walls that enclosed her. The walls crumbled, and Alex was stirred out of slumber by the intense headache. She woke with her head heavier this time. The stings on her wounds had worsened, and she bit her bottom lip to try to shut herself up.

"Ah!" She had tried, but she couldn't help wincing at the severe pounds in her head. Its nasty weight hung over her, squeezing her temples. Many disoriented shouts and strange noises blared in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, screaming out now. It felt as though there had been people walking in and out of her head, literally tearing her apart.

"Alex! Alex!"

It was Piper's voice. Alex opened her eyes, desperate to find the blonde. However, all she saw was a burning ball of hot white glaring into her face that she had to close her eyes again. "Help... help me," she whimpered, her body rocking in pain.

"What's happening!? Why is she like this!? Red!?"

_I need you to relax. Do not fight it, or you'd hurt yourself even more._

Amidst the voices shouting in her head, Red's words seeped into Alex's mind. They came easily, as calm as a gentle night wind. They came in warning. But Alex panicked, fully realizing now what was happening to her. She twisted on the bed, fighting to open her eyes, but couldn't. She knew how powerful Red was. The Russian telepath could keep Alex in her slumber at will, if she tried hard enough. Alex was hurt all over, mind and body. She was losing control of herself, and it terrified her. She kept screaming until she couldn't hear herself anymore.

"Stop, Red! Red! Stop it! RED!"

Rage. Alex didn't have to see. She could feel it burn through Piper's voice. The bed began to shake. Soon, the whole room trembled. The strain on her body eased away, and the headache lessened at once. Slowly, Alex opened her eyes again, tears bathed her face. Her body was soaked with sweat, her raven locks dampened to the sides of her face. She unclenched her fists, her palms bleeding from her own nails digging into her skin. She could feel her wounds torn up from her rapid movements, but even with the pain now, it still felt much better than being stuck in the storm of her memories.

Piper was standing next to her bed, one hand caressing the crown of Alex's head, while the other rested on her heaving chest as if to soothe her racing heart. Blue eyes dimmed with worries. "It's ok, Alex. It's ok now."

Alex slowly blinked. "Don't... leave..." The feeble whisper escaped her dry throat. On a normal occurrence, she would have been embarrassed by her own plea, but she was too drained and frightened to care now.

Piper leaned down closer, cupping her sweaty face with both hands. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Piper wiped the sweat off Alex's forehead with her sleeve. The pale woman offered her a weak smile before her eyes fluttered close again. The sight tore Piper's heart. All through their time together, she had never seen Alex so vulnerable like this. Even when the woman was hospitalized due to the car crash. Even when they fought during their nasty breakup, Alex had always been in control. Alex used to have plans, and she always came through. But, perhaps, these recent years had changed Alex into someone frailer. Seeing this new side of Alex did scare Piper. She wasn't even sure if it was Alex or her who needed an assurance that everything would be all right. There was nothing else she could do at the moment but pray that the woman would pull through.

When Piper was sure that Alex had slipped back into slumber once again, she straightened up and turned to glower at Red, who was standing by the end of the bed. "You said that it wouldn't affect her."

Red lifted her gaze from the sleeping Alex to Piper. "It shouldn't."

"She was in pain! You specifically said that your powers wouldn't hurt her—"

"I hope that you have already broken off your engagement. It's become too obvious, and I'm not sure that Howard would take it so kindly," Red droned, arms across her chest.

Blood shot up to her head. Piper was enraged now, knowing that Red must have read her mind or caught some bits of her memories regarding Larry. "What does it have anything to do with this? It doesn't matter what I've decided with Larry. The fact is that you lied to me, and I would have absolutely no idea what you would have done to Alex, if I didn't insist to come with you!"

Red shrugged. "It shouldn't hurt, if she didn't try to resist. She was fighting hard, that one. I was very surprised. She's very weak, but stubborn as ever." She adjusted her black suit, smiling as she headed towards the door. "But I will crack her. Of course, I will."

Piper's heart dropped at Red's self-assured statement. She followed her instructor out into the hallway. "What do you really want from her? You already knew that she worked for Kubra. But she's turned her back on them, and they're now after her. She's not a spy. Not a danger to us!"

"I want all the names she knew. Every single one of those twisted criminals with superpowers needs to be brought down, squashed and exterminated. You've seen the damages at Queens Comfort. We need to take actions now, or the government will. Let's settle this among us. We don't want ordinary humans involved, or it could get really ugly."

"Well, then, wait for her to wake up and ask! You said so yourself that reading mind while someone is sleeping doesn't work well."

Red turned to face the young blonde. "How naive can you be?" She growled.

Piper paused, taking a reluctant step back. "What—"

"Vause is a bad seed, and always will be. People like Vause and Mendez, they were born that way. It's time you pull your head out of the sand and see the truth. You are just as optimistic as Howard. You both never learned. He sent her to Kubra as a spy, and look at what she has become. She betrayed us once, and she will do it again. The fact that Howard is still sheltering her is inconceivable to me. The government is furious! Litchfield will face serious consequences if they found out that we're hiding her here. What are you going to do when the time comes?" Red scoffed and strutted away.

Piper's head reeled. But she quickened her pace to catch up with the older woman. "But it wasn't Alex's fault! She was attacked, for God's sake! If I hadn't found her, she would have been dead already—"

"You should have let it be that way. But you can't think beyond yourself and your needs. You brought troubles back to Litchfield. The government doesn't give a shit. They want all those involved in the incident captured. They hate us, can't you see? They're going to use this as an excuse to wipe us out."

"Nicky was also in the fight. Are you going to turn her in?" Piper waited for a response that never came, then a realization dawned upon her. She paused in her tracks, her sudden lack of motions stopping Red as well. Red turned to look at her, puzzled. "Oh, my God, it's because of Nicky, isn't it? You're blaming Alex for what happened to Nicky."

Red scowled. "If Nicky never wakes up again, I don't see why Vause should."

Horror struck Piper, but before she could react, a male voice interrupted.

"Ma'am, the car is ready."

Piper turned to see a tall, dark-haired man standing just a few feet away. He was in the blue uniform. At first glance, she would have taken him as a new guard. Litchfield did double their guards ever since the lizard man attack. But as she looked more closely, she realized that it was Mendez himself. He was now in his human form, clean-shaven and humbled. Piper immediately took a few steps away, preparing for an attack. How did he get out of the SHU? Why was he wearing a Litchfield uniform? Why wasn't Red doing anything—

"Tell Mr. Bloom that I'll be there in a minute," Red said, waving him away dismissively.

Mendez bowed and left.

"Why... why is he... Fuck, no." Piper stiffened as she stared at Red in disbelief. "You erased his memories."

A triumphant smile curved up Red's lips. "Things like this takes time. So much energy and expertise. But he's one of us now."

"You sound proud." Piper felt disgusted, and her voice showed. But then her eyes widened, her gaze filled with dread. "Were you trying to do the same thing to Alex? Tell me." She clenched her fists, her blood boiled. She began to feel the slight tremor on the ground beneath her feet. She needed to stop herself before she would do something rash and stupid, but she wasn't sure if she could. "_Tell me_," she spoke through her gritted teeth.

Red pushed at Piper's shoulder. "You're too easy. I don't even need my powers to read you. Look, sort out your priorities before it's too late. And, then, we might be able to negotiate. Now, I have an important meeting to attend. In the meantime, I will see that Howard would change his mind and kick Vause out of Litchfield. But if you're so determined to keep her here, you know that you have been warned. I always get what I want, one way or another." With that, Red scoffed and strode away.

Piper watched her instructor disappear down the corridor, chill running down her spine. Her mind raced to find solutions to all of this. Frankly, she would have stayed on good term with Larry if she knew that this would happen. She wasn't sure at all how long Howard would continue to extend his welcome for Alex. They were running out of favors, in or out of Litchfield.

* * *

Alex woke up again for what seemed like the tenth time that day. Or was it yesterday? Was it last week? Her mind was much clearer now, and she stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of what was happening. She was wounded, and she was still in the SHU. According to Claudette, it was for her own safety, which Alex suspected that it was all bullshit.

_Pipes was here... and Red... Fuck. That bitch tried to get inside my head._ Alex grumbled at the thought. She sat up, although with some difficulty.

The door promptly slid open, and Howard walked in. His face looked grim as he stopped by the doorway and studied her for a moment. Then he waved at the glass window, and the door slid shut again. "How are you feeling? You had me worried."

Alex silently chuckled. "You were worried about me?" She muttered to herself as she stared at her own reflection on the window. (She knew that Claudette was probably watching from the other side of the glass). The messy, matted hair. The pink rings under her bloodshot eyes. Her dry, trembling lips. She looked an absolute mess, and she felt deeply humiliated that Howard had to see her this way.

"I've made... mistakes, but you know that I'm not that heartless. Of course, I was worried. You were in a coma for a week. I wouldn't know what to tell your mother if something should happen to you while you're under my care," Howard said, edging closer to the bed, albeit cautious of their distance. He knew that she was too weak to attack, and that she wasn't crazy enough to try anything while being incarcerated in the SHU.

Alex glowered at him. She had the urge to strangle him with her bare hands every time he mentioned Diane. "Even if I died, you wouldn't know where to find her and tell her anyway."

Howard rubbed his chin. "Are you so sure about that? You were very weak. Still are. Red could have—"

Alex cut him short with a bitter laugh. "That bitch didn't get much out of it. I've been trained to deal with powers like hers. She tried though. And, seriously, you wouldn't be here, talking to me, if you've already found out where Diane is."

Howard stared down at her, like a teacher to his student. It was a harsh look, but Alex remembered it well. She even felt nostalgic whenever she got the glare from him. It was just like the old days, when she was just a kid, and all she had to worry about were the three meals a day, the poker games, and which friends to hang out with after classes.

"You do know that Red will eventually crack you," Howard stated.

If Alex was being honest, she feared it, too. Red could, and she would. "You only want my mother, so that you could control me. You're no different from them no matter what you keep telling yourself. I can see through you."

"They found you, and they almost killed you. You alone cannot protect your mother. Don't be so stubborn. We may have our differences, but right now our priority is to keep Diane safe."

Alex shook her head, glaring up at him. "I don't trust any of you. Even if I died, she'd still be safe. Safe and far away from all of you."

Howard studied her for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "The government is looking for you. They're looking for anyone to blame. That's why we had to keep you underground for the first few days of search. You and Nichols have very few options left."

Alex's gaze softened at the mention of her friend. "Is she all right?"

"She reached us too late. She's on life support at the moment. It's likely that she'll never wake up again. I'm so sorry, Alex."

Alex covered her mouth with her hand. Guilt hit her hard. It was all her fault! How did she let it happen!? "God, I fucked up... fucked up..."

Howard adjusted his glasses as he moved closer to Alex. "Do you still think that you can fight Kubra alone? That your mother is safe?" He cleared his throat and continued, "I've talked to Ms. Claudette, and she agrees that you may move back to your dorm tomorrow. For old time's sake, I give you the option of staying here, but never leave this island. I cannot risk the government using you as an excuse to destroy Litchfield. But if you leave, you may never come back again. I hope you know what you're doing, Alex."

After Howard left, Alex carefully lied down. Her breathing was a little shaky. She pulled the blanket up, her hands rickety. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of the choices she had been offered. Everything seemed so dire. She just couldn't see her future at all. Here or anywhere. With someone or alone.

* * *

"Slow down, or you're gonna hurt yourself," Piper warned. She had one arm snaking around Alex's waist, her other hand on Alex's right arm, supporting the woman as they moved down the corridor.

Alex had been released from the SHU, and she couldn't get herself out of the tiny, claustrophobic room fast enough. She was in a gray t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. Her hair tousled, she looked sickly pale. Piper offered to take her on a wheelchair, but she insisted that she would walk.

They reached the other room, where they had Nicky. Ms. Claudette had told Alex that they would move Nicky up to the infirmary tomorrow. They had tried to contact Nicky's mother, but the woman hadn't returned the calls.

With a heavy heart, Alex entered and walked up to her friend's bed. It took her a moment before she could gather her strength, reach out and take Nicky's hand. It was cold, and Alex almost dropped it out of fright. It'd been only a week, but Nicky already looked thinner and paler. She looked peaceful in her sleep, but lifeless.

"It's not your fault," Piper said, standing next to her.

Alex watched her friend for a long moment. She opened her mouth, trying to find her voice. "I know what you're trying to do. Don't."

"Al—"

"Of course, it's my fault!" Alex snapped. "Kubra was waiting for me to make a mistake, and I did. Too fucking easy. I should have known better. I should have been more careful. I put her in danger. I put her _here_. Stupid. Stupid. I was so stupid—"

"Shhh." Piper drew Alex into her arms and held her tightly. "It was Kubra. He tried to kill you, and you and Nicky got hurt. It isn't your fault." Alex fought to lose Piper's grip, but she tightened her embrace, one hand caressing the back of Alex's head, urging her to bow her head down. After a weak resistance, Alex eventually gave in and rested her head against Piper's slim shoulder. Alex's sob was quiet, but Piper could feel the quiver of her body. Piper closed her eyes as she continued to caress Alex's back, softly cooing in her ear.

"This is why I put my mom away. I knew this would happen. People I love will get hurt because of me. And, now, Nicky—"

Piper pulled back, cupped Alex's face with both hands and interrupted her with little kisses, trying to distract the taller woman. It did startle Alex, and she backed away a little. Green eyes blinked in confusion, tears sliding down her cheeks and onto the back of Piper's hands.

"What are you doing?"

"I... kissed you." Piper stared at those full lips, surprised by a thirst suddenly rising in her. Her chest tightened, a tingling feeling in her stomach.

For an awkward moment, they stood in silence, unsure what to do next.

Alex was the first to look away, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her fingers. "Well, thanks. That was a nice distraction."

"It wasn't. I meant it."

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. "Oh, God, we've been through this, Pipes. I know that you're probably shaken by what happened to me. But I'm fine now. Let's not make this an issue again." She weakly turned away and headed out into the hallway.

Her fists clenched and unclenched. Piper bit her bottom lip and said, "I broke up with Larry."

Alex paused by the doorway. One hand resting on the wall, she looked over her shoulder and saw a reluctant look on Piper's face. "What?" This was bad news. Absolutely, a terrible news. She couldn't believe her ears. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

"It was the night of the attack. I broke up with him, and then I got back to Litchfield with Ms. Claudette. You were the first person I wanted to talk about it. I wanted to tell you… so many things." Piper looked down at the floor, blankly staring at her feet. "Imagine what went through my head when Daya told me that Nicky was badly injured, and that you were still out there. Nobody knew exactly where you were, who were after you, or if you were still alive or not."

Alex silently watched Piper. She hadn't the time or energy to really sit and think back about everything that happened. It was all so fast and terrifying.

Piper took slow steps towards Alex, almost as if she was afraid that the taller woman might vanish. She sucked a breath in. "I flew to Queens Comfort after I heard the news. I didn't know what to think when I saw the damages. The place was completely ruined. _Our_ place... Then I saw a lightning bolt, and I just knew that it was you. I found you by the pier. You... you were..." Blue gaze drifted off into the distance, seemingly lost in thoughts.

Alex let out a subtle sigh. She leaned back against the doorframe as standing for a long moment easily tired her. She was careful in making it look casual. Piper hadn't noticed. "I remember now. You saved my life, Pipes. I cannot thank enough." She tried to smile, but her smile quickly faded when Piper didn't return her the gesture. Instead, Piper's gaze was stern. Only now that she had fully noticed how gaunt Piper's face looked. The blonde looked as beat as the comatose Nicky.

"I went on for another week without knowing if you'd be dead the next hour, or the next day. I barely ate, and I probably totaled about two hours of sleep each night. I—I couldn't stop thinking that you could be dead, locked away in the SHU, as I sat in the hallway, waiting for some news, any news at all about your condition. They let me see you through the window twice. _Twice_ in a whole week. I just—"

Alex pushed herself off the wall, and moved closer to Piper. "C'mere." She couldn't help but wince as she wrapped her arms around the blonde. Piper immediately tried to push her away at the little noises she made, but Alex tightened her hold around the younger woman. "Don't make this so hard on me," Alex teased. She was smiling lightly, but she was in pain, and Piper could see it. "I'm ok, Pipes. Really."

Tears shot to her eyes at Alex's reassurance. Piper felt embarrassed as she should have been the one to be strong. She embraced Alex tightly, careless if she was hurting the woman now. She didn't want to let go. She couldn't. "I love you," she breathed.

Alex chuckled. "Of course, you do."

Piper blushed, burying her face at Alex's wide shoulder. "Shut up."

For a while, Alex let Piper hold her. They stood under the harsh neon lights, and the hallway was chilly. They hadn't left the SHU just yet, but Alex was surprised that she didn't mind all that much. She loved when Piper caressed her head and face. She loved when Piper touched her—felt her. It felt like she was home. Alex was finally home.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

It had been a week since Alex settled back in the South. It was nice and quiet for a change. She occasionally got glances and greetings from other residents, but they never approached her. Perhaps, Howard had warned them, or they were just scared of her girlfriend's awesome telekinetic powers. _Girlfriend_. Alex couldn't help but smile at the last thought. Sometimes she wondered if Piper was serious—if the blonde had thought things through. Piper choosing her over Larry seemed too good to be true. But, in all honesty, this was the least of Alex's troubles right now.

Alex was in her casual clothes; a white, long-sleeved, thermal shirt, and a pair of khaki. She carefully moved to sit on her bed. It was the second day since she left the SHU that she felt quite comfortable. No more fever. No more waking up in the middle of the night, sweating and shivering. Her head was much clearer, and her limbs had gained back some strength. The pain was still there, but not as unbearable as the days before. Maybe it was time she considered her next step. She knew that she hadn't much time left to ponder, yet it was made next to impossible every time she looked at Piper. She just wanted to make Piper happy.

A brief knock on the door, and Piper entered the room with a lunchbox. "Brunch is here!" She beamed, and proceeded to the desk. She opened the lunchbox. "Hungry?"

Alex took the sandwiches, and took the first bite. "Starving. Thanks."

Piper leaned over the desk to look out the window. She was in her pink sweater and a pair of tight, black, yoga pants today. "Did anyone drop by?"

Chewing, Alex eyed the pair of gorgeous, long legs in front of her. "Nope," she spoke with a mouthful.

Piper turned around to face her girlfriend. "Eat slowly." She reached out and brushed the tiny bits of bread crumbs from Alex's cheek. "Did you go out while I was away? I mean, I passed a few guys in front of the building, and I swear that I heard them mentioning you. I thought that maybe you were chitchatting with them."

Alex arched a brow, eyeing Piper knowingly. "No, I did not leave my room while you went to get my brunch."

"I _am_ chill. I'm just being attentive, that's all."

Piper's voice went a little high, and Alex just chuckled at her girlfriend's bad lie. "Everything's fine. Nobody bothers me. They seem to be much calmer than I first thought," she reassured.

"_Calm_. Why, I'm sure. After their embarrassing failure to kill you at Queens Comfort, they would be a lot more cautious next time. I'm thinking that direct attack might be out of options now. Maybe they'll try to infiltrate and befriend you, and they'll strike when you least expect it."

Alex closed her eyes for a moment. "Pipes."

Piper automatically groaned, clearly agitated. "You don't seem to understand the situation. Kubra won't stop. His next attack could be at any given moment. And you're still weak, Alex, you have to be extra careful."

"But we're in Litchfield. The guards have doubled ever since Mendez's attack. Relax." Alex finished the sandwiches, licking her fingertips. She was taken by surprise when Piper knelt down in front of her, snatched her hands and licked her fingers clean.

Alex's fingers between her teeth, Piper gazed up at the raven-haired woman. "I told you about Red. Please, don't take it lightly. I saw how she tried, and how it hurt you. I... I just…" She looked away, her lips trembled.

Alex watched Piper stumble for words, and then suppressed her sigh. "Hey, I'm ok now. We're safe. You have nothing to worry—"

"No, you're not ok, and that's why I'm here to make sure nothing happens. You saw what happened to Mendez. He's like a lost puppy now, following Red around, taking her orders. He doesn't even remember who he was, or how to conjure his powers anymore! Red was trying to do the same to you! And she won't go at it alone next time. I'm sure she'd find a few to help her take you down."

"She wouldn't be able to control Mendez forever. It'll eventually exhaust her. It'll tire her out." Alex lazily shrugged. "Well, given her powers and years of experiences, it's gonna take him a while to break free."

"This is not a joke. I can't lose you, Alex."

The words were unwelcomed. Alex watched Piper, contemplating. She was genuinely touched by Piper's concern. Before her return to Litchfield, her memories of Piper had been distant and cold. 'Piper Chapman' had become the scar of heartbreak and the reason for the immediate dangers she was in. Things had taken an unexpected turn, and while it seemed too good to be true, it also came with a price. "I love you, Piper."

Piper looked puzzled. She almost flinched at Alex's words. "Yeah, but—"

Alex offered a small smile. "You know how this'll end. Why are you wasting time with me?"

Piper's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What?"

"I don't know. I guess you can still go back to Bloom. We haven't... _moved forwards_, so to speak, so you could just tell him that you were wrong, or that you were stressed and under pressure. You could still get him back. Easy."

Her eyes narrowed, Piper rested her folded arms on Alex's lap. "How long did it take you to come up with the idea? Were you thinking about it while I spent twenty-five minutes to get your brunch? Or did you—"

"I'm serious. Just look at me now. I have no money. No career. Howard told me that if I ever leave Litchfield again, I may never come back. I can't go anywhere, but I can't stay here forever either. I have nothing to offer you, Pipes. The only thing I've got is an enemy who won't stop until I'm dead. And I'm not even talking about Red and her newfound hate for me. It's pretty much a dead end with me."

Piper raised both hands up in the air. "I swear I didn't put anything in those sandwiches."

Alex smiled. "I'm glad you could still make joke."

Piper lightly pushed at Alex's arm. It was meant as a tease, but Alex could see the mischievous look in the blue eyes disappearing. Piper stared at her, and her grip on Alex's arm tightened. "What's this? Why this talk all of a sudden? You've been out of coma for a week, and I've been taking care of you. Everyday. It's been going so well for us. It's a start. A—a new start, or however you—"

"You've been taking care of me so well. Thank you. Look, I'm _so_ happy that you want to be with me, but let's be honest here. It's been only a week, but it's already driven you nuts. I don't blame you for that, because the threat is real. But I don't want you to suffer, living every minute of your life, trying to protect me, which you know, that one day, it'll all be pointless." Alex sighed in defeat. "I should stop being selfish. I want you more than anyone or anything, Pipes, but… but I have to let you go."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Piper was now glaring at Alex, her jaw tightened.

Alex gulped. The words came cold, and it sent chill down her spine. "Well, if you put it that way."

"You lied to Kubra to save me from being recruited. You're in danger, years later, because of that—because of _me_. But you're fine if I just up and leave you now? Don't you want to claim your prize?" Piper's voice shook in frustrations, and she looked away.

Immediately, Alex reached out and caressed Piper's cheek. "You are. That's why it's more important to keep you safe, and for you to have a better future."

"So you think that it's better for me to go back to Larry," Piper deadpanned. Her hands on Alex's lap were dead and cold.

"I'm sure that if you explain, he'll understand."

"You think that he'll take me back after I told him that I love you."

Alex threw her hands up in the air. The experience sounded way too familiar. "He loves you. I love you. Of course, he'll forgive—" She was cut short when Piper abruptly got up on her feet and pushed her down the bed, heedless if the fast movements had hurt her wounds.

Piper was now on all fours, hovering over the panting Alex. "Be still, or you'd hurt yourself," she warned before she climbed down to kneel on the floor once again. Her fingers tightly hooked at the edge of the khaki pants and swiftly pulled them off the pale woman.

"What are you doing—ah—" Alex shuddered when the blonde's lips landed right on her sensitive area. Her hips bucked immediately, and she couldn't stop rocking even though the movements were troubling her wounds. She did try to keep it at a slow pace, but Piper's tongue only elicited a drastic, opposite result. "Piper, a—ah… wait, s—stop... Pipes, stop!"

Piper eventually stopped and climbed back onto the bed. She straddled Alex, whose face and body was blushing deep pink. She put her hand on Alex's heaving chest. "You always blush when we have sex. That's cute."

"I'm not cute. Get off me. I'm not your brunch." Alex let out a shaky breath. She was all hot and bothered. She tried to think of things to take her mind off of what Piper had done, but her body refused to cooperate. Her crotch was aching, and her legs were slightly shaken. Piper could feel it, too, as she gazed down and up again with a mischievous smile.

"Stay absolutely still, or I will make you." The last warning was given before Piper went down on her knees again.

Alex jerked when she felt the tongue against her hot flesh. Piper was giving it thorough attention with both rapid and long, sensual licks. She felt herself even wetter just to hear Piper's lips made sucking noises. "P—Pipes... ah—aaah!" She gripped the bed sheet, writhing. She tried to push herself up, but an invisible force instantly pushed her down.

_Ouch_. Alex inwardly grumbled at the pain shooting up through her body.

"Shh. Be still." Piper mumbled as her tongue was busy between Alex's legs.

Alex's mind was reeling with pleasure. However, it somewhat scared her. She had never expected Piper to use her powers with her during their love-making session. She reluctantly stiffened even if she already felt her body was being gel-blocked. She caught a stare from the blonde. Piper had caught her fear.

Blue eyes darkened, drowned in desires. Piper let out a whimper as she tightened her holds on the pale thighs, her tongue hungrily picking up its pace. She pushed her face in harder, her lips making love with Alex's swollen flesh.

Alex was now free from the invisible grip, and she felt a sudden liberation. A great relief. And it only heightened all kinds of sensations she was feeling. Moaning, her back arched, and her hips jerked repeatedly as if under the blonde's command. Her center was burning now at the continual assault, and she gasped when she felt long, slender fingers pumping into her. Her inner wall tightened so much so that it hurt. "Aah—oh, god!"

And, if Alex was being honest, Piper was so effective in taking her mind off the physical pain and fear. _So_ good.

Alex bit her bottom lip to silence her moans, but it proved to be pointless as Piper continued to thrust into her, her engorged flesh begging—helpless inside of Piper's mouth. Her control broke. Her hips rocked hard against her lover's face. She might have hurt Piper, but she just couldn't stop it. Her body twisted, she screamed into the pillow, releasing all the tensions off her body.

_Oh, God… _

It was all white. Blissful and perfect. Almost unreal. Alex opened her eyes again when the high subsided, trying to catch her breath. She gradually turned her face from the pillow, and gazed down at Piper.

Smiling, Piper rested her cheek against Alex's inner thigh, watching her with a dreamy gaze. They had had plenty of sex in the past, but Piper had always looked at her as if it were their first time.

Alex had no sense of importance if it was old or new. She lived in the moment, and Piper was definitely here with her. Now.

Alex flinched when Piper ran her fingertips along the still sensitive area. "Pipes!" The blonde muffled her laugh, and Alex lazily rolled her eyes, yanking Piper's hand away. "Shut up. C'mere."

Chortling, Piper gingerly climbed onto the bed. Alex moved up to make room for her. She lied down next to Alex, a hand rested on the woman's chest. "Your heart is beating so fast. I love it."

Alex turned to face Piper. Eyes closed, she hummed into their kiss, tasting her own release from Piper's soft, swollen lips. She reached up and cupped Piper's breast. "Yours, too."

"We're still... together, right?" Piper breathed hotly between their kisses. She was already arching her back, pressing in against the taller woman.

Alex just loved how Piper's body reacted so naturally and effortlessly against hers. They always felt so at ease that they never had to try. It was a rare kind of connection that Alex had never felt with anyone before or after Piper. She wondered if Piper felt the same way.

Lightly biting down on Piper's lower lip, Alex pulled her closer. "You're still dumped, Chapman—ouch! What was that for!?"

Piper punched at Alex's arm. "Does it hurt? _Good_," she growled.

"You're especially aggressive today," Alex teasingly remarked, rubbing her arm. But her smile faded when a stern look flashed across Piper's face. It was no longer a joke to the blonde.

Piper reluctantly hooked her fingers at the loose collar of Alex's tee, pulling weakly. "Don't leave me."

Alex watched tears welling up Piper's eyes, stunned. Piper, a doll that she was, rarely ever cried in front of her. Her whisper came so soft and fragile that Alex almost missed it. It sounded nothing like the aggression Piper had acted in their love making. Piper was scared. So scared for Alex's life that it was starting to eat her alive. It was the very reason Alex had thought that it was best if they parted. But, here she was, making love with Piper once again, giving in to desires rather than reasons. It had been years since, but she had never forgotten how it felt. Only with Piper. Everything for Piper.

Alex took Piper's hand at her collar, cherishing the warmth from their contact. "You left me before. You can do it again. It'll be for both of us this time," Alex said. Every word coming out of her mouth stabbed her a thousand times over, but she wanted all the pains to stop with her and leave Piper out of it.

Blue gaze hardened. Piper moved up, resting her weight on her elbow, gazing down at Alex. "You think that it was easy for me to learn that you lied to me? That our relationship was a sham from the start? You don't know me at all, do you? Even after knowing what you did, it was still so hard to walk away. You ruined everything I believed in. You shattered my world."

Alex idly watched the angelic face above hers, wondering many things. She had loved Piper so deeply that it had scared her to hope or wish for anything. "It was so dark after you left. I just wasn't… the same. I wasn't able to live," she murmured. Staring up at the ceiling, she recalled those gloomy times. "Drugs became a friend. My only friend."

"Drugs...?" Piper's voice came out dry, heavy with guilt.

"The only time I was able to breathe without hurting was when I was high. There were times when I just couldn't stand the sight of lightning, or—or the sound of thunders. They made me feel sick. You took everything from me when you left. I'm not the person I used to be... I'm still empty."

Piper's lips parted, but her mind failed to find words. For a long moment, she remained silent, contemplating of the years lost between them. "I... I've always wondered what you were doing, what you were thinking, or who you were with. All these years, not a day passed that I didn't think of you. Even when I was with Larry, I still hoped that maybe you'd pass me by and see how happy I was, and… maybe, just maybe you'd regret and try to make amend." Piper gulped down her tears. "It was stupid. I'm so, _so_ sorry."

Alex grabbed Piper's hand and kissed her knuckle. "But I was wrong. It was so dark when you were with me. I couldn't see at all. But it was also the brightest moment. You were my light. Still are. You lit up my world."

A smile broke on Piper's face as a tear fell from her cheek. She leaned down to meet Alex's lips, gentle and light. "And you… are my world," she whispered between their kisses.

Alex held back her breath as she grabbed Piper's slim waist and flipped them over, hovering above the blonde. She ignored the pain, focusing all her attention on her lover. She pulled the sweater off Piper's head and flicked the hook of her bra loose. She hungrily captured Piper's nipple in her mouth, feeling its hardness against her tongue. Gasping, Piper writhed under her, her nails digging into Alex's back. She roamed her hands all over the blonde's perfect body, diving in for more kisses as though it was her oxygen. She needed it. She needed Piper. As always. Piper was her drugs, and there was no quitting.

Piper momentarily pulled away, gazing up at Alex. Her hands cupped the pale face. "Stay alive for me," she said, breathless. Her statement came more like a command rather than a plea.

Alex was tongue-tied as she had no way to assure Piper, but she eventually sighed in defeat. "For you." At the last words, Piper raised her shoulders, the woman's lips crashing with hers, needy and urgent. Their lips still connected, Alex pushed Piper back down, reaching down to the blonde's center.

Piper involuntarily moaned into Alex's mouth, pleading with ragged, hot breaths. Her hips jerked at the continual touches, and she began to rock against her lover, setting the pace for herself. Their bodies radiated heat, and they burned with pleasure. As they delved deeper into ecstasy, shielding themselves from the outside world, they panted and cried together. Hope against hope, they found each other again.

* * *

The cold wind swept her blonde locks back. Reaching her destination, Piper steadied herself and gracefully landed on her feet. The main road was quiet. There was only a truck passing by the intersection. The mountains stood behind the small town. It was twilight, and the sky was slipping fast into darkness. Piper glanced around, noting the few passerby. Old ladies with their grocery bags. From the look of it, there wasn't much beyond the main road and the few sets of old, two-story buildings. Nothing was out of ordinary. Nothing was happening. How Alex found this town was beyond Piper, not to mention how anyone survived in this lonely place. She wouldn't want to be here even for an hour.

* * *

Blue eyes were wide, scrutinizing in the dark. Piper whispered her lover's name, touching her cheek carefully. They were still in bed, naked and blissfully exhausted under the blanket. Hours had passed, and they had forsaken meals. They both had eventually fallen asleep, but she was stirred out of slumber by Alex's sleep talking. She watched the raven-haired woman with curiosity.

Alex was frowning. Her lips were moving, but her words were incoherent at best. After a while, she turned, burying her face into the pillow, her body twisting. Her breathing became shallower as moments passed, her fists clenched.

Piper sat up, grabbing Alex's shoulders, shaking her. "Alex... Al, wake up—Alex! Stop it!" She screamed, falling off the single bed. A small lightning bolt had just shot right past her head. She scrambled to her feet and scooted as far as the wall allowed her in this tiny room. "Alex! Wake the fuck up! Alex!"

Alex flinched at Piper's yell and shot up to a sitting position. But the sharp sting in her shoulder wound froze her, and she cursed for moving too fast. "Ugh… shit..."

"What the fuck was that!? You almost electrocuted me, or burn a hole in my head!" Piper sprung up to her feet, utterly relieved that Alex was now awake.

"What happened?" Alex looked utterly dumbfounded as she turned around. There were new cracks on the old, painted wall. "Fuck. They're going to make me pay for this."

Piper sighed in exasperation. "That's all you can say to me? After the shit you just pulled?"

"Hey… hey, I'm sorry. I truly am." Alex raised her hands in apology. "It rarely happened. Like once or twice a long time ago."

Piper studied the walls and noted the marks that remained. Even the new paints couldn't hide everything. Maybe Polly was right about Litchfield keeping the dangerous ones in the South Mansion after all. It was the main reason given why the South residents got their private, albeit tiny, rooms. They were meant to be 'alone'. "You never had nightmares like this when we were together," she said as she sat down next to Alex.

Alex pulled the blanket to wrap them both from the chilly air. "It happened when I get a bit anxious," she mumbled almost in guilt. "I swear that it won't happen again. I'll keep it in check. I mean, it happens sometimes when someone with psychic powers like Red tried to manipulate my mind. It kind of fucked things up. A glitch, you could say, but it'll fix itself."

"What is it? What are you worried about?" Piper's tone softened at once. She cupped Alex's face with both hands, resting her forehead against the woman's. "Tell me."

"It's… it's nothing—"

"Alex."

"I mean—"

"Al."

"I've been thinking…" Alex sighed. "I have to leave."

There it was, the truth Piper didn't want to hear. She knew it was coming, yet she felt unprepared for it. It was too soon. Too much. They had just come back together. She had just gotten Alex back in her arms, alive and safe. "But, no... you... you—no, you can't. You can't," Piper stammered.

"It's Diane. I'm out of the SHU for a week now, and I've been calling her every day, but she hadn't answered. I think something happened."

Piper pulled Alex in closer, trying to calm the woman down. "Wait. There must be an explanation to all of this. S—she might be out of town, or—or she could be busy—"

"I put her in a safe house, Piper. She has no jobs. No friends. She often said that all she did all day was watching TV and waiting for my calls. She'd missed my calls before for a day or two, but never this long. I need to check up on her."

"B—but you can't leave Litchfield. You said so yourself!"

"I knew this would happen. Sooner or later. Howard knew, too, and that was why he let me stay for the time being. He knew that I'd leave anyway."

Alex sighed as she got up from the bed, but Piper was quick to get up and held her in her arms. "You can't go, Al. You're not well enough to fight them. You could barely defend yourself."

But Alex didn't seem to listen as she pushed her way past Piper and headed towards the suitcase standing beside the drawer.

* * *

Piper walked up to the porch of an old, one-story, blue-painted house. There were only a few other houses down the long road. She glanced around, paranoid if she was noticed or followed in this ghost town.

* * *

_No. No. No. She can't leave. She can't._

Piper's heart was in her throat. If Alex left, she could never come back. Alex would then have to go into hiding to avoid Kubra, and it would most likely mean that they would never see each other again. Alex would be out of her life for good. They'd be 'dead' to each other. "I'll go."

Alex turned to look at her, frowning. "What?"

Her palms sweaty, Piper gulped. She felt even more naked than her body was. The realization that Alex was all she had—all she had ever wanted, and that she would do anything to keep her safe. "I'll go. I'll check on Diane. Tell me where she is."

Her gaze stern, Alex shook her head. "No. That's out of the question."

Piper approached the taller woman. "What's that supposed to mean? You don't trust me?" she asked, heated. Her tone came out more accusative than she initially meant.

"Of course, I do. But it's too dangerous, Pipes. Something must have happened, and I think it must be very serious. I can't just put you out there. I've already caused enough troubles as it is. I can't let you—"

"I want to do it." Piper pressed into Alex, breathing on her lips. "I _can_ do it. Trust me."

Alex tried to break away. "Pipes, no—"

Piper literally leapt at Alex, wrapping her arms around her, locking her in place. She could hear Alex wincing at the harsh contact, but she couldn't stop herself. "I can't lose you, Al. I don't want to. Not again. Let me do it. I'll handle it." She tightened her embrace, and never meant to let go. If she had to tie Alex down, she would.

"Pipes—"

"Don't."

A long silence hung heavily over them before Piper felt a pair of arms gently wrapping around her. Alex knew it had to be.

"I can't lose you either." Alex planted a soft kiss on Piper's shoulder. "Come back to me."

* * *

Piper took in a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

Silence.

She hit the button again, and waited.

Silence.

Piper knocked on the door this time. "Hello…? Diane…? It's Piper Chapman. Alex sent me."

Silence.

Piper took a step back, and by her willpower, the doorknob twisted. The door was pushed open, letting in a gush of wind. It was cold. Too cold. She peered into the dark living room. She needed a few moments for her eyes to adjust, and she entered.

The living room was littered with crumpled pieces of paper. A broken laptop was scattered on the floor beside the knocked over table. Pools of broken shards of glasses. A window was left open, the wind blowing in, swaying the curtains. The large, flat TV was knocked down, shattered on the carpeted floor. Piper's eyes widened as she took in all the details. Possibly, there had been a nasty fight. Then the place was searched and destroyed. Alex was right; Diane was kidnapped.

Her hand shot up to cover her mouth. Piper stumbled back against the nearest wall, sick in her stomach. Diane was gone. All the bad thoughts flooded her mind, but the worst of all was Alex leaving Litchfield to find her mother. It was a trap. Anyone in their right mind could see through it, but Piper was sure that Alex would walk right back into Kubra's nest for Diane. Piper tried to breathe—to think. There had to be something she could do. There had to be a way out.

"Hello, again."

A male voice greeted, and Piper froze. Slowly, she turned to look over her shoulder. Standing by the doorway was a tall, blond man with wide, athletic shoulders. He looked to be in his late thirties. He was in a gray jacket and a pair of black jeans. She didn't recognize his face, but remembered his voice. It couldn't have been mistaken. He was the steel man she fought at Queens Comfort. Immediately, she lifted her hand, and the force sent him flying from the doorway. He was thrown backwards, hitting the front yard hard.

"Piper!" he yelped.

"Where is she?" Piper stalked out of the house and moved towards him, concentrating on his neck. "I should have torn your limbs out last time. Why didn't I?" She cursed, heat rising up to her face as she thought about what they had possibly done to Diane.

The man was on his knees, choking. Both hands around his neck, he kicked at the ground, gasping for air. "P...Piper, please..."

Piper stood, watching him. He was calling her name, and it disgusted her. He was testing her. He was challenging her, and she loathed it. He had hurt Alex, almost claiming Alex's life. "You have something I want. Be quick," she said.

"It's… me... D—Danny… Piper… stop…" he breathed. His face reddened, and his eyes bulged in agony.

Piper paused. She hadn't heard the name in a long time. They told her that he died many years ago, when he was nine and she was three. Since then, it had been only Cal and her. She studied him more carefully, realizing their matching, beautiful, blue eyes.

_Oh, my God_.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_First, the heat broke from the bones. Then it seeped through her flesh, crawling fast to the skin._

_The girl was stirred from her slumber. It was half past one in the morning. It had been a relatively peaceful night in this rough neighborhood. Unbearable pain came in quick flashes. She lied still on the bed, confused and scared. Out of breath, she closed her eyes, hoping the pain would soon disappear. Then she fell asleep. It was perhaps an hour later that the heat erupted again. Stronger and deeper this time. The pain spread rapidly, and it hurt all over. Her limbs shaken, her heart hammering in her chest. It felt as if her body was going to explode. Her back was soaked with sweat. Icy blue glossed over her green eyes. Blue, electric currents licked along her entire body, streaming out of her eyes and mouth. Her skin sizzled, she curled up on the bed, screaming her lungs out._

_The door to her tiny bedroom was kicked open, and she could hear her mother shouting her name, but she couldn't see her. She couldn't see anything but the hot, white light engulfing her. She had woken up to a nightmare that would never end. It was the first time Alex Vause realized her superpowers. She was thirteen. She was then transferred to Litchfield soon after._

* * *

_"Alex… Alex, honey?"_

_"Yeah?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, Alex mumbled as she stuffed the pack of cigarettes into the chest pocket of her worn, jeans jacket. Her thick, shoulder-length hair was messy._

_It was summer. Many Litchfield students went home for vacations. Alex returned home to spend time with Diane. It was fun being with her mother. They were best friends. But as years passed, something started to change. Diane grew a little older, while Alex grew much taller. Diane often said that she had gotten the height from her biological father. She often wondered about Lee Burley, dreaming what their first encounter would be like, but hadn't the courage to act on it yet._

_It was the jacket that gave Alex some clues, and then it was the cry of her stomach. The shoulders were tight, and the edge of the sleeves were slightly more than an inch above her wrists. She was growing fast even without proper nutrition. The kids in the South did not get proper meals like the rich from the North. Being home didn't help either. They had bread and butter, often nothing else. Once in a blue moon, Diane would bring some meat home, the leftovers from the diners she worked at. Alex, on the other hand, found that smoking managed to appease her hunger, or maybe it just took her mind off things, even only temporarily._

_"Help me up, please. My back hurts."_

_Green eyes looked up through the curtain of raven hair, staring into the hallway through the open door of her bedroom. She could hear her mother quietly sucking in a breath at the pain. Daine would never bother her daughter if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Alex knew, and it hurt her because her mother was hurting. They were in pain. They were in it together. They had to do something._

_She had to do something._

_"Sure, mom." Alex got up and walked out into the hallway._

* * *

_When Howard Bloom offered to pay for her mother's back surgery, Alex accepted without second thought. She couldn't go on for a day longer, having to see her mother suffer. There were nights when Diane had to call out for Alex to help her to the bathroom. Or Diane just failed to get up from the chair. Simple tasks became arduous. It hurt them both, physically and mentally._

_Alex wasn't sure how her problems reached Howard. He approached her and asked one thing in return. The price was to become a spy. It was the first time Alex heard the name, 'Kubra Balik', the name that would change her life forever._

_Galina Reznikova trained Alex for six months before sending her off to infiltrate Kubra's faction._

_The targeted headquarters was in Cairo. It was where she first met Fahri, her mentor. He became a close friend, and a father she never had. Being away from her mother and friends had turned things to the worst between Alex and Litchfield. In just a period of one year, she turned her back on Litchfield._

* * *

7:30 P.M.

They reached the nearest diner in the quiet town just two miles from Abilene, driven in his black Jeep. Piper knew that it was risky to go with the steel man, in his vehicle, but this time she trusted her instinct instead. After all, it was Danny. 'Danny Chapman'. She couldn't even begin to imagine her parents' faces if they knew Danny was still alive.

Piper took the table at the farthest corner. Hands clasped together, she stared straight into the pair of deep blue eyes. Danny was occupying the opposite side of the table, his gray jacket dusted along his wide shoulders. He looked at her with an amused, kind smile.

"How you have grown," Danny pondered aloud.

Piper took a sip of hot black coffee from her cup. "It's been twenty-five years. Where have you been? Why haven't you contacted us?"

"For many years, I thought that I was kidnapped." Danny cleared his throat a little. "But I found out later on that it was Bill, who left me at the orphanage, when my powers surfaced. I was found by Kubra's men when I was twelve. I grew up with them. They're my family now," he explained, his smile intact.

"What? How… He… he left you? How could he do that!? That was inconceivable!" Piper shook her head, her throat dried up. "I… I can't believe this. He was very understanding when I admitted to him about my powers."

Danny ran his hand through his hair. "Bill probably got over it the second time around. He couldn't keep throwing away his children, right? And you're his baby girl. You mean the world to him."

"That was so unfair, Danny, I—"

"It wasn't your fault. I'm actually grateful that it happened. I'm now where I'm truly belong. With my people."

"With Kubra? But it's an evil—um, I mean, an outlawed faction."

"Litchfield has been legitimized by the government, but there's only a thin line that separates us. While Kubra used his powers to serve his own benefits, Howard has secretly aided the government in supplying the gifted ones for experiments. More often than not, deadly experiments. Who's the bad guy here?"

Piper froze. She then sat back, her heart weighed down by the information. "How do I know that you're not lying?" She took a long look at his face, trying to find any trace that would tell her that it was an impostor, but couldn't.

"Maybe Vause could tell you more. I believe that she knows both worlds very well."

Piper blushed, shifting uncomfortably on her chair. "You know that I won't let you go near her, or harm her again. It doesn't matter who you are, or what we were. Do you understand?" she said with finality.

Danny paused at the seriousness in her voice. "Will you kill your own brother for her?"

"I will try my best to prevent that from happening." Piper stared back.

Danny leaned back, watching her. "Vause killed her own mentor and ran from the syndicate with her girlfriend, Fiona. Mendez caught the girl and killed her. He almost caught Vause, but failed in Litchfield. That was when Kubra called me from Rio to fill in the assignment. That's how I've learned about a certain 'Piper Elizabeth Chapman' from Vause's history of contacts. You will kill your brother for a murderer? She's a cold-blooded killer. One of the best Kubra had ever had. Kubra took it personally when she betrayed him." He narrowed his eyes, studying his sister. "Do you have any idea who 'Alex Vause' really is?"

Piper growled. "You're not—you're just a stranger to me now, so don't preach about what I know or not know, or what I should do." She bit her bottom lip, fiercely looking away. But it shook her. Deeply. The power of knowing and the vulnerability of not knowing. He was right; she knew very little about Alex's criminal deeds while under Kubra's command, and honestly, she was scared to find out. A murderer. Did Alex really kill Fahri? Why? What else had Alex done? Any regrets? Many questions stormed through Piper's mind, but she had no answers to it. She pulled her fidgety hands off the table and hid them under the table. Danny was studying her, and he wasn't hiding it.

"It's a crazy world out there. I know it. _You_ know it. I'm so glad that I've found you, Piper. We have each other now."

Piper sighed. He seemed sincere enough, and it was somewhat true. She wasn't sure who the good guy was anymore. The only thing that mattered was the people next to you. She gazed out the window into the quiet road outside. They were in the middle of nowhere. The road was leading them nowhere. After a long moment, she turned her attention back to her brother. She stared into his eyes, and it was as if she was looking into the mirror, drowned in blue. "What do you want?" The question resonated in her head.

Danny straightened up in his seat. "I don't trust Bloom. I want you to join us. I want to keep you safe. Our parents, they don't understand what we've gone through. They will never understand what it's like to be us." His gaze softened as he asked, "What do _you_ want?"

A moment passed before Piper breathed again. Her gaze steeled, colder and harder than Danny's skin. "I want Alex safe. It's the only condition I'll stand for. I won't lose her."

To her surprise, Danny let out a chuckle. His shoulders relaxed as he leaned back again. "You got me interested. I might have to look into Vause's files again to see how _special_ she is, despite her criminal records."

"She came from a poor family. She didn't have much choice," Piper said, trying to steady her voice.

"I'm aware of the factors. But what puzzled me is your dedication. You were with her for only a year. Am I correct?"

Now, Danny sounded just like Red, and Piper rolled her eyes. "It's not for you or anyone to judge. I know what I'm doing," she grunted, visibly annoyed. Heat rose to her face again when she thought of her brother reading her records. Her life was a written report to strangers, not to mention dangerous criminals. Like Alex. Like Danny. How ironic it was that these people were no strangers after all.

"I wouldn't want to upset you. You're always my little sister. But you don't have much choice. We have Diane Vause."

"Clearly." Piper stared at him hard.

"She did put up one hell of a fight for an ordinary human. We tried to be as gentle as we could. At any rate, she's still alive and well."

Piper inwardly cursed at him, recalling the ugly mess that was Diane's house. It was anything but 'gentle'. "Doesn't matter. I'm not handing Alex back to Kubra. I'd chain her to her room if she tries to leave to save her mother. Diane isn't an option here. Something else you have in mind?"

Danny smiled. "That's cold."

Piper steeled her expression. She had to put up a brave front.

"You could work for Kubra, and ask him to spare Vause."

Piper grew uneasy. "Work… work for him? Like what?"

"Your powers are extremely useful. He's coveted you as his ally for years now. Vause hid you away, but her plan was eventually exposed. It's your choice now. What are you going to do with your powers? Stay with Litchfield and let Diane Vause die, or come with us and save them both."

"Alex risked her life to protect me from your kind of people. Look where it got her. Look where it got Diane and Fiona. You people are thugs," Piper simply pointed out. She found it hard to believe what her long-lost brother was asking of her. Years had passed, and things had changed. Piper Chapman, the blonde socialite, whose only worries in life was which parties to go to, and where to take vacations. Her family was always there to help. Her fiancé was always there to listen. But, now, she had no one. She was now fighting to understand who, or what she truly was. She was fighting for her sanity in Litchfield. At this moment, she was fighting for a bleak future that she saw no way out.

"My kind of people is your kind, Piper. We're the same. There's no use running away."

Piper looked at her brother. The diner was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. But she wasn't as afraid as she should be. Maybe he was right. Maybe there was no good guy or bad guy. The only thing that mattered was which side would win.

"You don't have to do anything right now. I have to report to Kubra first."

"And Alex? Will she be safe?"

"I'll inform Kubra of your demand. I presume that he'd be realistic enough."

Piper let out a defeated sigh. "What about Diane?"

Danny adjusted the collar of his jacket. "You do care after all."

"Alex cares."

Danny leaned slightly over the table. His coffee was left cold and untouched. He studied her beautiful, melancholic eyes. "Never let anyone know the key to your powers as they could use it against you."

Piper sat still. She understood what he meant. She remembered what Red had warned. She knew what was going on, but she just couldn't avoid it. _The key._ Alex was her key, just like Diane was Alex's, and Lee was Diane's.

_Lee Burley._

Piper stopped. She had heard Alex mention Lee twice as someone very important to her mother shortly before they broke up four years ago. It took Alex a year to slightly open up about her biological father. A realization then dawned upon Piper. Lee must have been the link Kubra used to get to Diane.

_Fuck._ Piper ran her hand through her hair, a tired smile on her face. She didn't even know how to break this news to Alex, or if she should at all. "How did I get to this?" she mumbled to herself.

"My contact will approach you." Danny reached out for Piper's hand, but she didn't pull away. He took it as a good sign and smiled. "It's good seeing you again. Goodnight, Piper."

* * *

It was almost two o'clock in the morning when Piper got back to Litchfield. She forsook the warm bed in her own dorm room, and chose to fly to Alex instead. She knocked on the cold windowpane, her knuckles reddened by the harsh wind. A very short moment later, she heard a thud, and then the window was lifted, revealing a messy-headed Alex. The brunette shoved her glasses on her nose.

"Pipes!" Green eyes brightened at the sight of Piper. Alex backed up a little to let Piper in. "Hey, what took you so long? I was worried sick."

Climbing into the room, Piper smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I decided to visit my family for a bit, so..." she lied. She had remained at the diner for hours after Danny left, unsure if she had made the right decision, or if it was all worth it. She even dreamt of their perfect escape to an isolated island somewhere in the Pacific. Only if she could get Diane out of Kubra's hand. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Alex quickly shut the window. She turned around and pulled Piper close, rubbing her arms feverishly. "C'mere. You must be freezing."

Piper couldn't help but smile, nesting her face into Alex's shoulder. "I'm better now. I really am."

Alex diligently helped Piper out of her thick coat and hung the garment by the door. She walked back to the blonde and urged her to lie down together. Squeezing against each other on the single bed, their arms and legs intertwined. Alex pulled the blanket up to cover them both.

"Where have you been?" Alex muttered, gently tucking the blonde locks behind Piper's ear.

Warmed in Alex's embrace, Piper nudged her forehead against Alex's chin. She could feel Alex's soft breaths on her hair. "Revisiting the past," she said.

"Hm?" Alex raised a brow.

_I met my _dead_ brother_. Piper inwardly laughed at her own thought. "Nothing. By the way, your mom—" But she was interrupted by Alex's laugh.

"You know what, I tried calling mom again today. _Surprise!_ She answered the phone! I couldn't believe it. It turned out that I was just being fucking paranoid. Fuck. I'm _so_, so sorry, Pipes. I shouldn't have made you go. It was very selfish of me."

Piper looked up, shaking her head. She cupped Alex's face with both hands. "It wasn't you. I volunteered, ok?"

"Yeah, but still, I shouldn't have let—"

"It was my decision."

"Yeah, but—" Alex continued, but Piper silenced her with a kiss. The taller woman immediately responded. She tightened her hold around Piper.

They moaned into each other's mouths. They hastily pulled each other closer, trying to speak coherently but fail. "Fuck… me…" Piper breathed.

Alex climbed over her, their kisses deepened with desires. Her lover was being a little rough, but Piper wasn't going to complain. She welcomed it. She welcomed anything that would take her mind off what had happened today, or worse, what might happen tomorrow.

Now, it was just Alex and her in this tiny room, holding onto each other, making love. It was just like old times when they cocooned on the bed in Alex's apartment, cherishing every moment together, wishing that it would last forever.

Piper moaned in protest when Alex pulled back. Alex undressed her in one smooth motion. Lying naked on her back, Piper didn't even feel the rush. It felt so natural as if her shell was being peeled off. It was her need, her desperation. She shuddered when Alex dove down and took her nipple between her lips. She moaned into the pillow as her back arched in response, her nails digging into Alex's back. Alex was claiming her, but at the same time, she wanted to claim all of Alex's touches. She would offer her blood—her soul.

Alex slid down to her sensitive center, her tongue working its miraculous way. Piper started to feel warm despite the chilly air, her body involuntarily rocking. She fisted the mane of raven hair as Alex began to pump her fingers into her. It might have hurt her lover, but she couldn't help it. Heated and wet, she writhed under Alex as she was pushed closer and closer to the edge. With each thrust, she was challenged—persuaded to surrender.

"Oh, God… god…! Alex…!" Piper shouted as she came hard. She continued to cry, but couldn't grasp what words or noises that came out of her. Her hips riding out the climax, she then collapsed back onto the bed, completely spent.

The room became quiet. The night was cold. Then came a simple whisper, "I love you, Piper."

Her ears were ringing, but Piper could hear those muttered words just fine. There was just something about Alex's low, husky voice, and the way she called Piper. It gripped her even in the dark. Slowly, she opened her eyes opened again, swallowing dryly. "Alex… Alex…" She sounded needy even to her own ears.

Alex was resting her head on Piper's tummy, eyes closed. "I'm here."

"Closer."

Alex mildly chortled when Piper's hands clumsily fumbled along her shoulders and arms, trying to pull her up. Obediently, she crawled up to lie on top of the blonde. They kissed again, long and hard. Piper found that her own juice tasted so sweet from Alex's lips. She couldn't stop herself. She hungered for more.

"I love you, too… Anything… anything for you, Alex…" Piper sighed between their frantic kisses as she pulled Alex's shirt off.

Her words echoed, and they hung in the dark, heavy and cold. They felt like an uninvited watcher in the room that she couldn't rid of. They were watching—waiting for her to fall.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **The italic = past.

Sorry for the confusion. I went back and fixed those in previous chapters.

Thanks to everyone who still reads. xoxo

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Alex would never admit it, but she had counted it down to the days and hours. Even the minutes and seconds had hurt. Without Piper in her life, everything hurt. Their relationship had lasted a year, two months and seventeen days. It wasn't exactly a long-term relationship, but the longest one she had ever been in. Considering what her mother had to endure after Lee left, 'love' had always been a bad idea for Alex. She had always been careful not to lose control of her heart. It had always been just lust and sex, until Piper walked into her life.

But Piper wasn't the first on her recruitment list. Far from it.

* * *

"_She fell asleep after her fifth margarita! I had to drag her up from the floor and let her sleep on the couch," Alex told Fahri, chuckling. She exhaled a puff of smoke, shaking her head slightly at the memory of last night's event. "Wait. I think she was already on her sixth."_

_The dusky man glanced at his apprentice. He took another drag of his cigarette. "We are not interested in her choices of drinks, Alex. It's been months with this one already. Find out what her powers are," Fahri said, his gaze darkened as he stared into the night sky above the Nile. _

_Alex looked up at him. Tonight was so cold. So dark. "Seriously, I haven't caught anything from her. No signs at all," she admitted. She tossed the cigarette butt down at the concrete floor and crushed it with her toe. They both were sitting by the river, having a few drinks and admiring the serene view of nighttime Cairo._

_Fahri rubbed his cheek, his teeth grinding. "Maybe you have not tried hard enough."  
_

"_Or maybe she just isn't one of us." Alex stared at him defiantly._

_Her mentor turned to face her fully, his gaze anxious. "Are you certain? Alex, I cannot help you, because Kubra really wants to know. Your job is to identify her powers. Bring them out."_

"_Who is this Kubra guy? I mean, you always talk about him, but I've never even met him. What does he want-" Alex was cut off when Fahri snatched her collar, pulled her close, snarling in her face._

"_You do not question his intentions! You do as he says!" Fahri yelled until his face went red, pushing her away._

_Alex rocked back into her chair. Stunned, she watched his dark eyes burning. He was shaken in anger. She had never seen him lose his calm before. It was only then that she realized the enormous pressure he was in. Or, perhaps, how real the threat was._

_Fahri turned away, clearing his throat. "I have to make another report in three weeks. You know what that means."_

_Alex reminded herself to breathe again, taking in all the hints of what was happening. "I'll see what I can do," she said. _

_Her first instinct was to call Red. Maybe Litchfield could guide her through it. This game was getting murkier and more twisted than she had first anticipated. Her involvement with the faction had been rather smooth. They valued her powers, but she had yet to break into their inner circle._

_It was two days later that Alex finally got a hold of Red._

"_Jesus Christ, you haven't even met Kubra? What have you been doing!?" Red reprimanded._

"_I've been in Cairo the whole time. They haven't assigned me anywhere else." Alex felt desperate, the pressure mounting. "They don't trust me."_

"_Then identify the girl's powers. It's the only way to make them believe that you're up for the job."_

"_I've identified a few others already, but I really don't think this one is 'gifted'. I've been telling them that, but they don't believe me. I don't know what else to do."_

"_You might be wrong. These people are professionals. They don't survive the underground if they produce lousy jobs. I'm sure that almost 90% of the people on their list are 'gifted'. They're working hard and fast, and we can't afford to lose their trails. Get to work, Vause!" _

_Alex tightened her hold on the phone, holding back her sigh. No one seemed to listen to her at all. "Well, what if this girl falls into that 10%?"_

_There was a silence before Red replied, "You don't have to worry about that. Just do your job."_

* * *

It was another day at the infirmary. Usually, Piper came alone, but she had convinced Alex (and shooting down any of her lame excuses) to pay a visit today. She led the way down the corridor. Alex was a few steps behind, hooded, hands in the pockets of her black sweatshirt. Her girlfriend was unusually quiet. Evidently, it was still difficult for Alex to see Nicky in the comatose state.

Piper slowed down to let Alex catch up with her, and when they were leveled with each other again, she hooked her hand at the crook of Alex's arm. "Ms. Claudette said that her condition is stable," Piper said.

Alex appeared impassive. "She said that two weeks ago."

"Come on. Give it time, Al. Things could have been worse. She's young and strong. There's a very good chance that she'd make it through. We have to stay positive." Piper kept up her smile, while memories of Queens Comfort's bloodied floor flashed through her mind. Blood. There was so much blood. Alex's blood.

Alex freed her arm from Piper's grip. "I just… Fuck, I don't know what I'd do, if she never wakes up again. It's all my fault."

They had gone over this conversation countless times before, and Piper knew that this wouldn't be their last. She pulled Alex back into her arms and embraced her. Her left hand caressed the back of Alex's head, breathing into her hair. "Hey… Hey, listen, stop blaming yourself. You didn't know that Kubra would send his men there. You didn't mean for this to happen. None of us wanted it to happen."

But _Danny_ happened.

The truth sank its teeth into Piper's flesh, and she bit her bottom lip to kill the cry before it could escape her throat. It was her brother's squad that put Nicky into this critical state. She wondered what Alex would do if she found out what happened to Diane, and the deal that Piper had made with Danny despite everything that had happened.

Piper loosened her embraced a little, pulled back and looked straight into Alex's eyes. But Alex was looking elsewhere, seemingly lost in her own world of guilt. Alex hadn't grasped what was waiting ahead of them. She would like to think that she had underestimated Alex, because it would give her some sort of comfort—it would lend her the illusion of Alex, who had always been invincible. But the green eyes were dull, and pain was all Piper saw.

Alex suddenly backed away. "I worked for Kubra for eight fucking years. I knew him. Of course, I knew how they worked, and yet I fucked up. Fuck up!"

Piper pressed into Alex, holding the pale face with both hands. Her grip was harsher than she had intended, but she had no intention to let go. "Come on, nobody knows what'd happen. At least, that's not your supernatural ability. Even Red is optimistic about Nicky's condition. That says something, right?" Piper gingerly caressed her lover's face. "Red won't let anything happen to her, you know that."

It took a while before Alex finally responded, "Yeah, I guess."

Alex's shoulders relaxed a little, and Piper smiled. "Let's go see her," Piper said, softly holding Alex's hand and leading her away.

* * *

_Her hair tousled, Alex rushed through the dark, smelly corridor of an old motel. She skidded to a stop in front of room '14' and knocked incessantly on the door. "Come on. Come on. Come on... Open the door... Open the goddamn door!"_

_The door swung open, revealing Nicky with her strawberry-blonde, wild hair. She was wearing a white robe. Her eyes were wide, her tone agitated. "What the fuck, Vause? What the hell is going on?" Her gaze then fell upon the small woman behind Alex. "Who the fuck is that?"_

_Her senses heightened. Alex took a hasty glance down the hallway. Distant rumbling of music came from the door to her left, TV commercials from her right. There was a news channel from two rooms down the corridor. All seemed normal. For now._

_Alex grabbed her companion's arm and shoved her forward. "Get in." The woman stumbled into Nicky's room. Nicky had no choice but to sidestep for her to come through._

"_What the fuck is this? I've got a date tonight!" Nicky spat. Her cheeks, ears and neck were red. Alex knew that her friend didn't have the luxury of time and money (unless her mother would grant her some) to leave Litchfield and spend a night out in a motel. She wouldn't bother Nicky if she had any other choice._

"_Sylvie, this is Nicky. Nicky, this is Sylvie. She needs a place to stay. God, Nicky, just this once. Please." Alex pleaded, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She didn't have much time to explain. She didn't have much time to run either._

_Nicky studied the ashen-faced Sylvie, and then glowered at Alex. "I don't fucking believe this."_

"_Nicky—"_

"_What's this about? Is she in trouble or something? Are you?"_

"_Honey, who are these people?" a young Asian woman came out of the bathroom, and stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide._

_Nicky rolled her eyes. "Now, my night is completely ruined. I should be very angry with you. I should be very fucking pissed at you. Fuck, Vause, what's going on? Is everything cool?"_

_Alex silently debated what to say, if at all. She had thought that she was trekking a new path-that her life would take a new, better turn. But, here, she still found herself constantly on a run, wasting opportunities as time passed by. She was still young, but her clock was already ticking. Her world had become a bottomless swirl of darkness. She was like a tide, loud and wild, that crashed against the shore and simply disappeared. "I'm fine. But my friend here needs a place to stay... tonight." _

_Nicky glanced into the empty hallway. "I don't fucking believe this. I don't fucking believe you. But whatever you do, just stay alive."_

_Alex sighed in relief. "I owe you this. I'll call in the morning."_

_Nicky watched her friend disappear down the corridor, and then shut the door. She turned to Sylvie and shrugged. "She won't call anytime soon. Don't hold your breath for it."_

_Sylvie frowned in suspicion, and Nicky already liked her. "But she just said—"_

"_I know her since she was thirteen. Trust me. It's gonna be a few days or even a week before she'd show up again. Can you hold on for that long? A week without her? Or maybe I could keep you company," Nicky said with a wink._

_Sylvie shook her head in disbelief. "Why did she bring me here? What's going on?"_

_Nicky shrugged. "Who the fuck knows? A life threatening situation? Hell, I think that she must have actually given a shit about you to be bothered like this."_

_Sylvie's gaze softened at once, color returning to her cheeks. It was so easy, Nicky thought. It had always been so smooth whenever Alex Vause was concerned. "Will Alex be ok?"_

_Nicky had a curious smile on her face. "You want a beer?"_

_Sylvie pulled the hood off her head and reluctantly nodded. "That'd be nice. Thanks." Her facial features softened even more when freed from the shadow. She was a like a fierce kitten, but still only a kitten._

_Nicky grabbed a beer from the fridge and handed it to Sylvie. She opened a bottle for herself, took a gulp, and smirked at her guest. "How long have you been with Vause? Never heard her mention you."_

_Sylvie paused a little, her gaze hardened. "About five months."_

"_Not bad." Nicky chortled, but clearly, Sylvie wasn't amused with her reaction._

* * *

Piper parted the creamy-colored curtains. Nicky was lying on the bed, tubes connected to her arms and chest. Swiftly, from the corner of her eyes, she could see Alex looking away from the bed. It was the sight Alex could never get used to. Piper composed herself and returned her focus at hand.

Lorna was occupying the chair next to the bed. She had her full makeup on, her dark hair nicely curled. She looked fresh, neat and pretty. She straightened up when she saw Alex and Piper coming in.

"Hey, Morello," Piper greeted.

"Hey, guys!" Lorna beamed, tucking her short hair behind her ear. "Nice to see you, Vause. Didn't see you out of your room for days. I was starting to worry. I thought that Chapman might have locked you up." She chortled as her joke instantly made Piper blush.

"Yeah, you could say that. Right, Chapman?" Alex lightly elbowed Piper to make light of everything, but her smile still seemed strained. It would have escaped other people's eyes, but not Piper's.

Piper softly patted Alex's back in reassurance before walking up to Lorna. "Have you had breakfast? You're here very early today."

"I managed a cup of coffee. It's been a _little_ tight in the South lately. They said that Litchfield is going through some major budget cuts," Lorna said, and then added, "_every year_."

Alex lazily sighed, arms across her chest. She still looked anywhere but the bed. "Don't worry. They'll figure something out. In the meantime, try to stay alert. Stick with the crowd. Your private times could mean 'danger'."

Piper frowned. "What do you mean?"

Alex smiled, a brow raised. "I don't think that the North residents have anything to worry about."

Lorna narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice. "Is that why some of us disappeared without a trace? People would just assume that they left for other factions. But the truth is that nobody could contact them after. They simply went missing."

Alex pushed the glasses up her nose a bit. "Abducted and sold for experiments conducted by the government. How do you think Howard could afford to run the whole island? The man has bills to pay, people to feed, and a war to fight."

Piper froze. It reminded her of what Danny had said about Litchfield. Her heart was heavy as more dark thoughts entered her mind. Her worries grew, and her chest tightened. "If it's true, why aren't you guys doing anything about it? Are you gonna wait until it's your turn?" Piper could feel heat rising to her face. She stopped, having realized that she had been too loud.

"Well, for the South folks, we have the choice to stay here and risk being sent away, in which having powerful allies would certainly help preventing that from happening, or leave the island and risk getting shot dead by the police for doing nothing at all. Beggars can't be choosers," Lorna said.

"That's absurd. They wouldn't just shoot us like that. I've never been stopped by a cop," Piper countered.

Alex stifled her laugh. "Ok, Chapman. But I'm sure you didn't live in a poor neighborhood, you Park Slope narcissist."

Lorna giggled. "That's a good one."

Blushing, Piper opened her mouth to protest, exasperated.

Lorna smiled knowingly at Alex. "They don't like us," she said.

Even though Piper had never experienced anything of that sort, she did understand what Lorna meant. Litchfield separating the North from the South mimicked the outside world after all. She glanced at Alex again, willing herself not to fear. They were from two different worlds, but she silently vowed not to let anything separate them again.

Piper watched as Alex, for the first time today, had the courage to look at Nicky. Although Alex appeared unfazed, there was the understated sadness in her eyes. _Regrets._ During their year together, Alex never showed regrets. The 'Alex' Piper once knew was confident, manipulative and ruthless. In all honesty, Piper wasn't even sure how to handle this version of vulnerable Alex. There had been so much feelings, so sudden, that she still felt somewhat unprepared. Moving to Litchfield, realizing her powers, breaking up with Larry, fighting for her and Alex's life, and seeing her 'dead' brother again. She was walking through pure madness.

Piper inwardly flinched, snapped out of her thought when Alex suddenly shifted her gaze from Nicky to her, catching her off-guard. Alex stared at her for a moment. Her expression was unreadable, and Piper was the first to look away. She was thankful that Alex's powers wasn't mind reading as she was easy enough for the brunette to read.

_What do you see, Alex? What is it?_

Consciously, Piper shifted her weight from one foot to another, feeling uneasy. Paranoia started to grow, eating her insides. How long would this trial go on? Would she make it through? Would they? Her lies had begun to amount, and this was just the beginning.

* * *

'_Vause, where the fuck are you? It's been almost three weeks.'_

'_Call. Seriously, call me. We need to talk.'_

'_Vause, pick up the fucking phone. I can't deal with this shit anymore. I'm fucking broke! She needs a place to stay, and my mom isn't paying for it anymore. Fuck, just call me.'_

'_Where the fuck are you? You got me all worried here… Just to let you know that Sylvie already left. I don't know where she went... Vause…? Come on, pick up the phone.'_

'_Vause, where are you?'_

_There were several more messages left on her phone, but Alex didn't go through them all. She cut the line and stuffed her cell phone into her coat's pocket. Her black trench coat hung heavily on her thin frame. She hugged herself, but she was still cold, chilled to the bones. Her hands were shaking, pink rings under her bloodshot eyes. Her vision was blurred by the thick fog and hot, angry tears. Her feet were as heavy as lead. She was limping across the parking lot, heading towards the old, two-story motel._

_Alex glanced around before she walked up the stairs, with much struggles and efforts. She came to stop in front of room number 10, and knocked on the door. After a few moments, she could hear the chain rattled on the other side before the door was swung open. Sylvie burst into tears as she leapt at Alex, embracing her tightly. Alex whimpered at the contact. The pain burning on her ribs and her back almost toppled her, her knees weak. _

_Sylvie immediately pulled back, frowning. "Alex, are you all right?" she asked, grabbing Alex's both arms and leading the taller woman inside._

_As soon as the door was shut and locked behind them, Alex's legs just gave in. She fell to her knees, and if Sylvie hadn't been quick enough to pull her up, she would have fallen flat on her face._

"_Alex! Alex…! Alex…!"_

_Sylvie's shout continued to echo in her head, but quickly became distant. Like a dream. A nightmare. It continued on and on without an end. Alex's eyes were already shut. Darkness soon took over, her body completely numbed. And then it was the forever nothingness that consumed her. _

* * *

A drop of water floated from the half-filled cup, ascending to the ceiling. It finally touched and clung along the surface for a few seconds before it dropped right back down into the container below. Three more drops bounced up from the cup and repeated the cycle. The practice went on for another hour, and Piper delivered without fail today. First, she had succeeded in making Alex visit Nicky again, and now this. Today was a good day.

"Excellent, Chapman. An impressive progress!" Red grinned in excitement.

Piper couldn't contain her smile. It was one of the rare occasions that Red would compliment her efforts.

"You could now cut your opponent's skin and draw blood without having to lift a finger!"

Piper frowned at the remark, but brushed it off. She groaned a bit. The aches along her body intensified. She had been focused hard on her trainings. The need to improve her powers was urgent. Danny had been quiet for two weeks now since their last encounter at Abilene, but it was only a matter of time before his contact would show up. She wanted to be prepared. She had to be ready. Certainly, it would be someone within Litchfield, and she had been keeping her eyes open. She hadn't had much sleep at all, having to watch over Alex as well. Her body badly needed a rest, but it was as though her whole progress was driven purely on her need to survive.

Piper stood up, her legs wobbly. Her vision whited out for a moment before she found her footing again. She felt a strong grip on her arm, pulling her to an upright position. Eyes closed, she took a few deep breaths in. After a moment, she opened her eyes again to see Red standing next to her. "Thanks," she muttered.

Red carefully let go off her arm, her face grim. "A well rest would positively affect your powers, and your controls over them. What has been keeping you up at night? Does Vause know this?"

"I'm fine. It's just that I've been skipping dinners lately."

"Poor diet. You don't have a wedding to go to anymore. What's it for?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Maybe sitting around the island actually put a few pounds on me?"

Red scoffed. "Sitting around is not one of your favorite activities in Litchfield. You're more like a trouble seeker. It excites you, doesn't it? What are you up to now, hmm? There's always an incentive. You just love challenges to fill in the days of your perfect, boring life. Is that what Vause is to you? Adventures."

Piper took a sharp intake of breath. God, she hoped that Red hadn't read her mind, or she might do something really stupid right now. "No, Alex is more than that."

"I haven't read your mind, if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm not worried. I'm perfectly relaxed."

"Oh, I can hear your thoughts quite easily. Hmm. What is it about Diane Vause?" Red frowned. "Have you found her?" But then the instructor halted, her face alarmed.

A wave of panic rushed through Piper. Her first thought was Alex. She needed to keep Alex out of this. "Diane is safe," Piper blurted out.

Red stared at her. "I'm sure she is."

"I—I will get her back."

"_You_?" Red scoffed. "I thought we had a deal, Chapman. I thought that we were working together, but you've deliberately kept information from us. The future prospect of your stay in Litchfield doesn't look so good. You better make an urgent call to your parents, or book the ferry out by tomorrow. I doubt that Howard would stop me this time." Red spun on her heels and strode towards the exit of the private gym.

"Wait, Red! I'm sorry! I didn't tell you or anyone, not even Alex. I'm not taking her side. I'm not working for Kubra either. You have to believe me. I'm just trying to get Diane back. I'm sorry that I kept it from you."

Red stopped by the doorway and just looked at her. The door was open, letting in loud shouts and chatters from the large Gym 1, where most residents took their practices with four robots.

"I'm confident that I can get her back. I have to. I won't settle for anything less." Piper knew that she wasn't convincing anyone, but she needed to believe it herself.

If there was a hint of sympathy in Red's eyes, Piper wasn't sure what it was for. "Love will fuck you up. You don't know who you're fighting for." The woman then walked out, and shut the door behind her.

_Crap. I fucked up, didn't I?_

Only then that Piper allowed herself to slouch down, exhausted both mentally and physically. She had been using her powers too much. Her head was already spinning. If not for Alex, the pressure she had put on her mind and body would have made her quit long ago. But Alex wasn't an adventure, or a phrase in her life. Alex was her destiny.

Piper gave herself a few minutes before she got up and gathered her things. She picked up the bottle of water on her way out of the private gym, taking a few gulps of cold drink as she moved past the huge crowd in Gym 1. She was tired and wished for a good nap this afternoon. She debated whether to go back to her own room in the North, or Alex's. Although she had spent weeks in the South, she still couldn't get used to the dingy, public bathroom. She must admit that the North was a lot cleaner and much more comfortable. Sometimes she finished her bathroom business before going to spend the night with Alex. People had started talking, and Polly had started to ask. Piper thought that her roommate must have had some idea already, but just wanted a sort of confirmation from her. After all, twitter had nothing on Litchfield. Polly hadn't expressed contempt towards the idea of Alex and her being an item, which was rather a welcoming surprise.

But her thoughts on Alex ceased when Piper felt a hard object hitting directly at her head, almost knocking her out cold. Piper found herself on all fours, numbly shaking her head. The ringing in her ears subsided, but was replaced by fits of laughter behind her. She noted the broken shards of ice on the floor around her, and instantly knew who had caused it. God, it was high school all over again.

Piper looked over her shoulder, slowly getting up to her feet. "What the fuck, Wedge?" Her bottle of water had slid off her grasp, rolling and disappearing into the crowd. She was in no mood to try to find it.

The Fantastic Four gang surrounded Piper, annoying smirks on their pretty faces. Piper briefly wondered where Alex was, but then remembered that her girlfriend had bailed on powers training today. Alex went for a hike along the south shore, her favorite place. Alex seemed to need some alone time these days, and Piper didn't interfere.

"Hey, Chapman. How did the practice go? Not so well, I see," one of the blondes started.

"Pity. She looks like a mess."

"Awful, right? Can't believe she used to hang with us."

_Really?_ Piper mentally scoffed. They'd be surprised how little she cared. She glanced at Jessica, who surprisingly had remained quiet amidst her friends' sneers, her perfect teeth flashing only a reluctant smirk. _Oh, her friends still don't know._

"That bum in the South is her new best friend. Birds of a feather flock together."

"Friends? I heard that they're fucking," said another blonde, loud enough for the crowd to hear.

Strangely, it didn't bother Piper, not in the least bit. She could imagine herself being angry and embarrassed about it years before, but not anymore. She wanted Jessica to know. She wanted the world to know that Alex was hers.

Piper found it hypocritical that Jessica now shot her a glare. Her friends were ridiculing Alex, but she had done nothing to defend her. Jessica had no rights to be jealous. No, she had no rights over Alex at all. "I believe that's none of your business. I fuck whoever I want," Piper droned, wiping her lips with the back of her trembling hand. She tasted her own blood. She must have bitten her tongue when she fell. Her patience was running dangerously thin right now.

The Fantastic Four whistled, surprised and amused by Piper's response. They started to circle around Piper. More residents began to gather around them. A brawl was something so foreign to Piper. Her parents would be terrified if they found out, but she couldn't care less at the moment. In fact, she would pay to see Carol's face when she fought with superpowers.

"Does she smell? Give us some details. Entertain us—"

Piper didn't even know when it happened, but it just did. The blonde didn't get to finish her sentence before she was shot into the air and landed hard among the crowd thirty feet away. The other three instantly moved, but Piper was faster. The nearest two were knocked off their feet, flying out through the front entrance of the gym. The distance was impressive. The crowd yelled out, excited and scared at the same time. Some had started shouting her name, while others were cheering for Jessica. It was all in Litchfield's spirit.

Piper turned to Jessica, and they both lashed out at each other, full-force. Jessica was sent tumbling along the floor, crashing at many pairs of legs of the spectators along the way. But a cloud of ice erupted and zoomed towards Piper. Without much resistance, Piper was driven backwards, colliding hard at the nearest wall.

Lying on her back, Piper took a moment to let herself breathe. Her head took quite a few hits today. She was seeing stars now. Before she could collect herself, Jessica's yell grew closer and louder. A thick block of ice grew on her limbs, entombing her whole. The sharp cold mercilessly stung her skin, suffocating her. She inwardly cried as the pain seeped into her bones, freezing her blood.

"Chapman…! Chapman…!"

Trapped in the ice, Piper could hear screams from the spectators. Fears and panics. She was losing her strength and concentration fast. Seconds seemed like eternity now that her lungs had stopped breathing. Thunderous echoes hummed in her ears, her head throbbing like crazy. She tried to move, but her body refused to cooperate. White flashes intensified her dizziness, and everything became a big, bad collection of blurry images. It was the end, or it felt like it.

Then a pair of luminous, green eyes flashed in mind. So perfectly clear. So loving. Piper then recalled the pale skin and the warm smile, and that was all that it took. She knew that someone was waiting for her out there. She knew that she still had so much to do. She couldn't give up now.

_Crack... Crack._

Piper inwardly winced, her jaws clamped at the nasty echoes in her ears. The ice cracked again and again and again.

_CRACK! _

Then a rush of warm air whipped over Piper's skin, the icy shards flying from her body. She sprung up to a sitting position, gasping for breaths! She breathed as deeply as she could, tears streaming down her bloodshot blue eyes, her face wet with freezing water.

As far as Piper could tell, she was still in Gym 1, cracked ice blocks pooled around her. Many eyes were fixed upon her, but nothing captivated her more than Falcon's 18-foot-tall frame hovering above her. The robot's blue eyes flashed bright, and his raised, right fist was froze in midair, pieces of ice falling from his iron knuckle.

Other residents whispered in awe to one another. Unconsciously, Piper had controlled Falcon to her rescue, destroying the ice block she was trapped in. She felt her body slightly convulsing, her powers still transcending through the robot. Her gaze traveled and then fell upon Jessica, who was standing still, shocked by Falcon's moves.

Piper glowered at the ice princess. _Strike._

By her will, Falcon straightened up, turning towards Jessica. It ran towards the target, grabbed her by the waist and slammed her down on the floor.

_THUD! _

People dispersed in all directions, screaming. Fortunately for Jessica, her own ice had congealed her body, lessened the harsh impact, or it might have broken her neck already. But the damage was done. Freed from Falcon's grip, Jessica didn't get very far and sprawled on the floor. The ice peeled from her skin as she bent in agony, shivering. Falcon was now standing behind her, raising its deadly fist again. The crowd gasped in shock, but no one dared to interfere.

"Stop it!" Red emerged from behind the crowd, horror in her eyes.

Falcon's movement suddenly turned rigid, but Piper stubbornly fought Red's control. Falcon's fist and arm trembled in the struggle between the two superheroes. After a few moments, Piper's nose began to bleed, and her concentration slipped. Falcon's arm twisted in a nasty crack, falling off the shoulder and landing next to Jessica. The ice conjurer burst out an uncontrollable sob as she crawled away from the robot's arm.

Piper cursed at the result, displeased. Her control over Falcon had ceased. She turned to look at Red, wiping the blood that had dripped down from her nose to her lips with the back of her hand. Her powers had been a storm, and she didn't know how to stop it. Perhaps, she didn't want to.

Two of the Fantastic girls scurried to help Jessica to her feet, whilst the other ran to Red, begging for help. Piper just looked away. It had been a rough day for her. She had barely gotten away with her life. What the Fantastic girls were accusing her of held very little interest to her. Her powers still heatedly coursed through her veins, and she was ready to strike again. Anyone or anything. She didn't trust herself to be virtuous. Not at this moment.

Red's brows twitched in irritation, and she waved away the blonde. "I saw what happened," she said as she came to stand between Piper and Jessica. "I can't believe that you both lost control like this. You've been here for many years, Wedge. You know the rules! You know how it rolls around here! What has gotten into you!?"

Piper stared straight at Jessica, her gaze hardened. _'Alex' has gotten into her, obviously._ This was the second time Jessica had involved herself in a nasty fight since Alex's return to Litchfield. The more Piper thought about it, the more agitated she became. She didn't think Jessica was serious about her feelings at all. At least, she had hoped so, but she was wrong. She didn't like it when she was wrong, most especially when Alex was concerned.

"She started it." Jessica glared at Piper.

"Bullshit." Piper stiffened, and then took a step closer.

"Enough!" Red's gaze dangerously flickered between the two blondes, and she only relaxed a little when Piper had made no further move. "I will take this matter to Mr. Bloom. You both can bet your ass that you'll pay dearly for this." Red let out a sigh in agitation. "But first we need to take care of Falcon first. Wedge, take care of the bills. It's going to be expensive."

"Yes, Red." Jessica easily nodded. There was nothing the ice princess of the North could not afford.

Red turned to Piper. "You fix the machine. I give you two weeks."

Piper paused for a second. She didn't quite believe what she had just heard. "What? But I don't know the first thing about machines. I don't know how to-"

"Learn it."

"But—"

Red walked up to Piper, their faces nearly brushing, glowering at the younger woman. She kept her voice low, but enough for Piper to sense the danger. "How do you plan to fight his entire squad when you haven't the will to fix a fucking robot? What you're doing, _or_ what you think that you're doing is a matter of life and death. Not others', but yours! You've grown into something else, and you can't control it. I've seen it all before, and they always failed. As far as I can see, this isn't a good turn. This isn't a game, Chapman. Pull yourself together before it's too late," Red hissed, and spun on her heels.

Jessica shot Piper's a glance before following Red out of Gym 1. The crowd began to disperse, but a woman approached Piper. It was a heavily tattooed, young woman with short, dark hair, and a pair of striking green eyes. She smirked at Piper.

"You were awesome," the stranger said, kneeling to inspect Falcon's broken arm. "Like seriously awesome. That was some of the coolest shit I've seen in years."

Piper wasn't in the mood for compliments. She still had to figure out how to fix this huge mess of metallic junks.

"A friend of mine is a mechanic. He's real good. I'm sure he can help you fix this thing."

Now, that had Piper's attention. She looked at the shorter woman, and extended her hand. "Piper Chapman."

They shook hands. Piper thought that the woman's hand was rough. "I know who you are. You're quite famous around here, being the telekinetic and all. I'm Stella Carlin."

Piper offered a polite smile, studying the stranger. "What's your power?"

"I walk through walls. I like to steal stuff." Stella winked.

* * *

Mom… mom, I'm cold… Help...

"_Alex."_

_Alex came through at the thousandth whisper of her name. She finally broke out of her deep sleep. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her mind, though without much luck. Her head kept knocking, and the aches along her body began to strike back. _

"_Thank God. You're still alive."_

_Alex gazed up at Sylvie. She tried to remember where she was, and how she got here. "I guess I am," she replied, her voice heavy. Yes, she remembered now. She had called Sylvie and given her the address of the motel, where they could meet again. From one of the phone messages from Nicky, Sylvie had left Nicky without telling her, as was instructed. It was something Alex had grown to be familiar with; everything was planned that Alex hardly knew what she truly wanted anymore._

"_What happened to you?" Sylvie's gaze was fixed upon Alex's bare back. She had to hold back her breath. _

_Alex was lying on her stomach, arms and legs spread out in a comfortable pose. She was completely naked, the blanket covering the lower half of her battered body. Sylvie must have taken care of her after she blacked out. The woman must have seen all the fresh wounds on her body, especially the gruesome injuries on her back that were inflicted by Kubra's men. She had her wish fulfilled; she had been caught and brought to Kubra, meeting the kingpin for the first time. She briefly closed her eyes as the horror that happened after meeting him began to flash in her mind._

"_They tortured me… Must have been... a week... or two... " Alex felt her throat dry. It was burning. Her whole body started to burn from within._

"_You disappeared for six weeks," Sylvie corrected her, sucking in a breath as she traced her fingertips along Alex's shoulder blade, careful not to touch the wounds._

"_I lost count," Alex said simply. They had locked her up in a tiny, dark room. They had drowned her. They had starved her and beaten her. They had done many things that her mind was trying its best to shut out those memories. Oddly, they were the one who inflicted the pain, but also promised to take it all away. It was absurd that she started to believe them. But they were actually the only one who told her what she needed to hear._

_Alex whimpered when she tried to move. It hurt too much, but she had better got up. She had things to do._

"_Don't move. You were still bleeding when you got here. I had to throw the shirt and the sweater away. They were soaked with blood. But I had your coat washed a few times," Sylvie said._

_But Alex didn't listen. She released a shaky breath as she gathered her strength once more and successfully sat up. "How long was I out?" she asked. She grabbed the bottle of water on the nightstand and took a few gulps to quench her thirst._

_Sylvie leaned in closer, softly caressing the silky, raven hair. "Four days. I thought that you might die in your sleep. I wanted to call Nicky, but I remember that you told me not to contact anyone. My God, Alex, who did this to you? Have you gone to the police?"_

"_The police? I'd be dead much faster. They hate people like me." Alex lightly flexed her shoulders, and the pain shot down her spine. "... Fuck," she winced._

_Sylvie sat back in her chair. She blankly watched Alex getting up and limply moving to the suitcase on the floor. Alex opened it and grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Sylvie was a size smaller, considering their difference in height, but anything would do for now. She put the clothes on, but winced when the cotton fabric touched her wounded skin._

"_People like you? What do you mean? Like what…? Are you..." Sylvie slowly got up from the chair, hands fidgety on her sides. "Are you one of the gifted? Those people that you always partied with?"_

_Alex let out a low, guttural laugh. "Gifted? It's a wonderful choice of word, isn't it? We're not 'gifted', Sylvie… More like 'broken'." _Unwanted. Dangerous. _Alex thought to herself, and a nasty pain shot through her skull as she tried to think of more words to describe what her kind really was. They really fucked up her head, didn't they? A simple, coherent thought was hard enough._

_Broken. It was all that she was. All that she felt._

"_Why didn't you tell me before?" _

_Alex caught Sylvie's brief glance at the door. A subtle look of hurt flashed across the green eyes, but instantly disappeared. "Hey, come on, I thought that you liked me. My powers shouldn't have changed any of it."_

"_No, of course not. It's not like that. I just thought that you'd be more... straightforward with it," Sylvie said, her voice a little shaken._

_Alex watched as the warmth in her girlfriend's eyes was replaced by uncertainty. She stiffened as more flashes of those days of tortures stormed through her mind. She couldn't shut it out. She could still see her own body bleeding, the smell of her blood and the taste of her tears. The word 'pain' was a great understatement, the faintest whisper of illusion._

"_I wish that I could tell you that there's no reason to be afraid of me," Alex murmured._

"_Then say it." Sylvie straightened up, confidence shown in her gaze again. She slowly moved past Alex and headed towards the door._

_Alex shut her eyes for a moment. "I can't."_

_Sylvie grabbed the jacket hanging on the hook by the doorway. "You said that you were tortured. Who are those people?"_

"_My boss. They want me to do something... I hadn't complied, and they were displeased. I hadn't been obedient, so they punished me. They tried to get me back on tracks... or something like that."_

_Sylvie opened the door, and turned to look at Alex. "How did you get out?" _

"_They only want to know one thing." Alex stared back at her lover. "Are you one of us?"_

_Silence filled the room, for how long Alex couldn't tell. They didn't blink. They didn't speak further. They didn't even breathe. Everything started to move, coming to life again, when Sylvie turned and walked out of the room. Alex could hear the rushed footsteps down the stairs, and she bit her bottom lip. It was much harder than she had thought. Everything was. _

_Sylvie ran across the parking lot towards her car, hurriedly fumbled for the car key in her jacket pocket. But a lightning struck down as the car before she could get to it. Screaming, she turned around in fright as the vehicle was set ablaze. _

_Alex walked down the stairs, watching as dread set in Sylvie's eyes as the woman gazed up at her. Sylvie wasted no time and started to run across the road and into the vast field. Alex began to run after her. It was getting darker as they edged further and further away from the motel. Alex could hear a few occupants come out of their motel rooms and started shouting about the fire. She didn't look back and sped ahead. Sylvie was a strong woman. She was fast, and Alex wouldn't be able to catch up with her, not in the condition she had been in._

_A bolt of lightning struck down several feet in front of Sylvie. The strike left a deep, trench mark on the ground, the force blowing Sylvie off her feet. _

_Sylvie rolled on the ground, mud on her face and hands. She groaned as she tried to get up on her feet again._

_Panting, Alex slowed down and eventually caught up with her target. The sound of the car blasting erupted, but both Sylvie and Alex didn't even flinch. Their gazes were fixed upon each other. Alex wiped the sweat off her forehead. Her lips were parched, sweat soaking her chest and back, stirring the stinging pain on her wounds. Her green eyes paled to the shade of white, red rings darkened under her eyes. Lightning danced in the sky. She wasn't human. That was all she could see in Sylvie's eyes. Then she thought of her mother. How did Diane deal with her? Had Diane ever been scared of her? How did love overcome it all? The question cut so deep within her soul but left no visible scar._

"_I… don't mean... to hurt you..." Alex said, out of breath. She knew that Sylvie had no reason to believe her. She didn't even believe herself._

_Crawling backwards on the ground, Sylvie shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I wanna go home. Please, Alex, let me go."_

_Alex tilted her head up, watching the flashes of lightning. "Three years ago, you and your sister went for a jog in the park at five in the morning. Two hours later, she went to the police… She claimed that she'd been attacked by a human-sized lizard. She filed the case against you that… that you attacked her." Alex recalled all the details on Sylvie's file. The case was quickly dropped, but Sylvie's parents had disowned her, and she was left alone to work odd jobs, dropped out of college with no savings. Her life had gone through rough patches until Alex came along. They met in the desert. There was nothing but the sand and stars between them._

"_Just show your true self, Sylvie, and everything would be fine." Alex, at this point, was literally begging._

_Tears streamed down Sylvie's face. "I'm not the lizard! I told everyone the same thing, but they didn't believe me! Even you!"_

"_I need you to do this."_

"_Do what? It wasn't me. It wasn't me! Just leave me alone!"_

"_Don't be afraid. I know how it feels."_

"_Have you listened to me at all!? Alex! Please!"_

_The flashes of lightning in the dark sky disappeared. It was so dark around her-around them. "I need you to admit it. Don't be afraid. It's who we are." _

"_It wasn't me! For fuck's sake, it wasn't me! I'm not a freak like you! People like you, fuck, you all should burn in hell! Your kind has ruined my life! My future! Fuck you!"_

_Alex raised her hand, blue electric current growing along her arm and burning hot at her hand. "I need you to show yourself. You have to defend yourself."_

"_Go fuck yourself!" Sylvie kicked at the dirt, springing up to her feet._

_Alex watched Sylvie run. No one would understand her. Alex clenched her fist, holding it back. She held it back just a little longer, hoping beyond hope that Sylvie would respond as she was expected._

_Sylvie ran as fast as she could, and Alex made no move to follow. Alex swore that she could hear her own voice yelling endlessly, but her ears were numbed with loud ringing. _

"_Defend yourself. Bring it out!"_

Bring the monster out.

_The lightning bolt shot out from Alex's very own hand and struck at the woman's back. Sylvie fell face first, and her body laid motionless on the ground._

_One minute. Two minutes. Three._

_Alex stood in the middle of the field. _

_Green eyes shone brightly against the darkness. She had no idea how long she had been standing there, staring at Sylvie's still body. Time had seemed to stop. The night grew colder and darker. The fire had been put out._

_Alex was snapped out of her stupor when it began to rain, cold drops pricking at her skin. She coughed for air. It hurt so much, but she couldn't find her tears. She lied down on the muddy ground as if a quicksand was sucking her down. She curled into a ball, shivering against the sharp wind. She must go back. She had to. They promised to take all the pains away._

* * *

The memories were painfully vivid in Red's mind as if she were there herself, breathing the same air, touching the same battered skin, crying the same fear. It was a rare occurrence even for a simple case of mind reading without any obstacles. It felt so real, completely blowing her mind. It took her a while to pull herself out of the memories.

Simply put, her subject had intentionally let her in.

"Visiting hours are over," Red said. Arms folded across her chest, she had been standing at the entrance of the female ward, leaning against the doorframe.

Red forced herself to look at Nicky, who was lying on the bed, the machine working on her body. She needed it to remind her every day of the mistake she had made. The mistake of letting things get out of hand. She believed that she could have done so much more ever since Alex returned, that she could have prevented any misfortunes that had happened, if only she had been more ruthless with the likes of 'Alex'.

"You're here, too. I guess we both were born to break the rules." Alex was on the other side of the bed, leaning against the window, staring out at the starry sky.

Red was still trying to shake off Alex's memories. Something had been keeping Alex up at night. And, having witnessed some of her memories, Red wasn't surprised that there wasn't a night Alex could rest peacefully. "Regrets will only weaken you," she said.

"What do you know? The only thing you've ever known is someone else's memories."

"Watch your mouth, child. Your anger is highly contagious."

Alex turned to meet Red's gaze. Her small smile was as smooth and striking as a bolt of lightning, but it surely would burn a soul. "You watched everyone around you falter, reading their pain and thinking that you could understand. You simply fed on other's emotions. You don't exist."

Red scoffed. "Don't blame me for what happened. We all made our choices."

Alex looked out the window again. "My choices were never easy. I killed people. I also put Nicky here. Do you like it?"

Red snarled at the mention of Nicky. Alex knew which button to push. "You are pushing your luck. You think you have the upper hand, Vause? You think that you are winning because Howard and Chapman are on your side? You are in a lost battle. You have no idea what you're losing. Your mother-" Her voice suddenly trailed off.

Alex turned to Red. Her face remained neutral, but Red could sense a thick wave of anxiety from her. "What?"

Red's jaws clamped shut. She couldn't let on what she had seen in Piper's mind. It was a face of a young man with the same pair of beautiful, blue eyes. A bargain was made for Diane's life. It appeared to be Piper's foolish attempt to keep Alex out of harm's way.

"What about my mother?" Alex asked again, her voice coming in a low growl. She eyed Red suspiciously. The lightning striker had never liked mind readers, and tonight Red witnessed firsthand of the reason.

Red's gaze flickered between Alex and out the window, where lightning flashed in the dark sky. Howard had always been optimistic and hopeful about the girl, while Red had been the opposite. She still believed that she was right, that Alex was a loose cannon.

"Kubra Balik will never leave you alone. You know how vicious and vindictive he can be, and he knows what triggers you. Howard and I have been talking about it. Litchfield would welcome Diane with open arms," Red explained.

"I can take care of her myself." Alex's voice was strained.

Easier now, Red caught a deep fear. She saw glimpses of a frail, single mother and her scared, young daughter. Frustrations and pains. They had no one, and it was what Alex had always believed in. The lonely child who put on a brave front for the world to see, but she was nothing about the willowy grass on the curbside, waiting to be crushed.

_Just like Nicky, without her mother. _Red briefly shut her eyes at the thought.

"I'm worried for her safety, that's all. Howard does care deeply," Red said.

"He will never go near her again!" Alex clenched her fists, and the neon lights on the ceiling flickered.

Red knew that she was pushing the right button. "You're back home. Let us worry about you for once. We want to help."

"Say what you want, Red. It doesn't erase what you did, or who you are."

Red closed her eyes again, while sneaked into Alex's mind. Alex was a lot more sensitive to her powers than Mendez was. Alex had probably gone through so much tortures to imprison her mind, keeping it out of a mind reader's reach. But everyone made mistakes. Every once in a while, they slipped.

"You agreed to the deal. Howard took care of your mother's surgeries. You infiltrated Kubra's faction for us," Red said.

Alex glowered at the older woman. "I called. I needed help."

"Your cover would have been blown." In truth, Red regretted as soon as the words left her mouth. Alex had called her several times, asking for help, but Red had shunned her off. Ultimately, Alex was forced to put Sylvie to the deadly test. After the incident, Alex had left Litchfield for good. Howard never knew why Alex had turned her back on him.

"No, you intentionally left me to die. You didn't trust that I'd be loyal. You didn't fucking care." Alex laughed. "Maybe you were right."

Alex's anger clouded her judgment, and her concentration slipped. Red took the chance and stared into Alex's eyes, drilling deep into her mind. She wasn't so subtle now. "You need to calm down."

_You must not think. It is empty. Everything is. _

"I am calm... calm. I…" Alex winced at the sharp headache, severely distracted. She clutched her temples, whimpering at the poundings in her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, her body bent. Streams of blue light began to lick along Alex's hands but they were weak. She knew what was happening to her, but it was too late now. "Just… get out—get out of my head!"

The light bulbs exploded, leaving the room mostly in the dark with only a small pool of light from the hallway.

Red had only wanted to warn Alex to stay in line, but now that the opportunity presented itself, she found it hard to pass. She took a step closer to Alex. Should she find out more of Alex's secrets? Names. She wanted names. Several faces came up. Their powers. Their victims. How Kubra operated his powers against his enemies—how powerful he had become over the years.

Alex was fighting hard, and Red knew that it only hurt her. Red increased the force of her powerful spell, so aggressively that Alex eventually broke down, falling to her knees and sobbing in pain.

Red gently put her hand on Alex's head. "Don't try to fight it. There's no use."

"Fuck you," Alex managed a weak growl, leaning helplessly against the wall. Icy blue glossed her eyes, but her body shuddered at her failed attempts to conjure her powers.

Red knew that she had trapped her prey. She felt a thick cloud of thoughts and memories, a storm of emotions within her reach. She had everything that was 'Alex Vause' in her grasp, and the chance to 'fix' it. The lure to use her full powers, to be lost in its bliss, had always been irresistible. Red always regretted it after surrendering to the temptations, but it rarely ever stopped it from happening.

Red closed her eyes. "They taught you many things, but I can take it all away, too. You will be free of all your pain, Vause. Just trust me."

Her hands clutching each side of her head, Alex thrashed on the floor, hollering.

_Stop fighting it. Surrender. _Red repeated in her mind. But the more Alex fought, the more of 'Piper' flooded into Red's conscience. So much. So suffocating. It was a love that Red knew not its limit.

"What... the hell..." murmured a hoarse voice.

Then everything stopped. There was a deafening silence in the room.

Red had to break the mind contact from Alex. Breathless, she took a moment before she slowly turned to glance at the bed.

Alex gradually gathered her strength and sat up. Shaken, she wiped the tears from her face, wheezing and coughing. She had no idea why Red had suddenly stopped, but then she looked up at the bed and found the answer.

Nicky was squinting at them with droopy, tired eyes. "Hey, ladies..."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

In a blue sweatshirt and a pair of gray sweatpants, Piper paced around the narrow walkway between the bed and the wall. Her long strides made the already small room feel even tinier. She had returned to Alex's room after dinner, but the owner of the room was nowhere to be seen. At first, Piper thought that Alex was taking her leisure time trekking. But, as hours passed, her worries grew into a nerve-wracking paranoia. She had taken a few walks between the two dorms, hoping to run into anyone who had seen Alex. No such luck tonight.

Midnight was right around the corner, and the door finally burst open.

Piper spun on her heels. Her lips broke into a broad smile at the sight of Alex. She literally leapt at her, running her hands through the dark hair, her face and shoulders. "Where have you been!? I was so worried. I thought that something might have happened. Why didn't you—" Piper broke from the embrace when she felt her girlfriend trembling. She had briefly thought that Alex was crying, but she wasn't. What alarmed Piper even more was how ashen Alex appeared. Her eyes were bloodshot and sunken. The usually luminous emerald shade was bleached out to a sick, pale green. Her hair was sweaty, messy strands matted to the sides of her face and neck.

Piper immediately shut the door behind them. She turned around and cupped Alex's face with both hands. Alex appeared to be shuddering from the cold, but her body was sweating like mad. "Alex, talk to me," she demanded.

Alex stared blankly at Piper. Her lips were quivering. She tried to speak, but no words came out.

Piper placed one hand at the back of Alex's neck and pulled her closer, their foreheads resting against each other. "Please," she pleaded, her voice small.

"N—Nicky… she… she's awake." Alex managed a strained smile. The look was a combination of mild confusion and joy. Piper wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"That is great news!" Piper tried to sound enthusiastic. She pulled back a bit, studying Alex for any peculiar signs. "Is that why you came back late? Do you want to sit down?"

Alex stared at the bed. "I… I'd love to—oh—" Her nose began to bleed. For a moment, she just stood there, her hands reaching out slightly. Blood was already dripping down her chin and onto her black jacket, but she didn't wipe it away.

Piper quickly pinched Alex's nose, letting the dazed woman breathe by her mouth. "Here, like this," she said, leading Alex to the bed.

"I… I got it. Thanks." Alex motioned for Piper to remove her hand, and did the pinching herself. She sat down on the bed, and leaned back against the old, cracked wall.

Piper helped Alex out of the jacket. There were already several patches of dry blood on her white sweater. She pressed a hand over Alex's forehead, noting the mild fever. "How are you feeling? Are you all right? Do you want to go to the infirmary?"

Alex tiredly snickered. "I just came from there."

"What were you doing there anyway?" Piper asked, but Alex remained silent. After a few quiet moments, Alex's gaze seemed to be a little clearer. Color had returned to her cheeks, and her breathing sounded normal now. Piper gently stroked the pale face. "Alex, please, talk to me. We have to work together. You can't keep me in the dark like this."

At Piper's plea, Alex was snapped out of her trance. She softly clutched Piper's hand with her free hand. "I'm sorry. I just missed Nicky." She turned away, staring out into the dark through the gap between the curtains. "And I just got carried away by the old days. Too much reminiscence can be bad for your health. Take note." Her free hand pointed at the patches of dry blood on her sweater.

Piper believed that Alex had missed Nicky enough to sneak a late visit, considering how the woman had behaved strangely this morning. What failed to convince her was how messed up Alex looked right now. "I'm not going to repeat myself again. What happened?"

"It's just a nosebleed."

Blue eyes watched Alex like a hawk, and Piper felt her lover slightly recoil. Piper was exhausted from the long day—the lack of sleep, the intensive trainings, the fight with Jessica, and then Red. She was in no mood for games and tricks now, and she could see that Alex sensed how serious she was.

"I, uh… I ran into Red. Stuff happened. Lucky day." The confession finally came.

"_Stuff_? Clarify that, please."

"We pissed each other off. Nothing unusual. She kicked my ass, if that's what you want to know. Please, don't tell anyone. Let me keep the little dignity I have left." Alex sounded a little strange with her nose still pinched, but Piper found it adorable even when she should not.

Piper rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you can make jokes." But Piper was far from being relieved. She fought Red for the first time today, although briefly, and it still gave her goosebumps when thinking about it. The invisible force drilled into her conscience. The powers that commanded her against her own will. Her body became just a shell—a puppet, while she could only watch it move. The thought sent chill down her spine. "What did you do this time? You know that you can't afford to fight her," she said, frustrated.

"She hates my guts, you know that—wait." Alex leaned in closer, squinting as she examined Piper's face. "What's that bruise over there, above your right brow? Looks pretty rough. Oh, there's another one. Whoa, Pipes, how did you get them?"

"Your girlfriend." Piper lightly slapped Alex's pinching hand. "You kinda look like a fish now," she remarked offhandedly.

"_My __girlfriend_?" Alex raised her brows. A moment passed, and she gathered what Piper had meant. "You got into a fight with Jess? Why? When? What happened? Are you ok?"

Piper felt a little relieved that Alex seemed to have regained her composure, and her many questions out of concern warmed Piper's heart. "Please stop calling her, 'Jess'. It makes it sound like you two are close, and I don't like that."

"Please tell me that you two didn't fight because of me." Alex giggled, earning a small push from Piper.

"She started it. God, she's obsessed with making people's lives miserable! You can't imagine all the shit she's said about you in public."

"I've heard it all since I was thirteen, trust me," Alex said. She let go of her nose for a bit, testing to see if it was still bleeding. Fortunately, the nosebleed seemed to have stopped.

Piper stroked Alex's face, lifting her chin, turning her face left and right. She examined Alex as she pleased. "That bitch is obviously in love with you. But I gave her a few lessons. That should be enough to warn her to stay away. Now, don't let me see her around you again. You've been warned, Alex Vause."

"Ooooh, I'm so scared—ouch!" Alex yelped when Piper punched her arm. "Someone is incredibly aggressive tonight."

Piper snickered when Alex wrapped her arms around her, pulling them both to lie down. It was the powerful embrace, the intensity in it. She was in Litchfield, one of the most dangerous places on earth, but nowhere else could have made her feel this secured. She just wanted to be in these arms forever.

Piper glanced at the switch by the door, and the light was turned off. Soft pool of moonlight shone through the curtains, lending some visibility inside the room.

"That was useful. Thanks." Alex sighed into Piper's ear.

Piper peeked over her shoulder. Alex had already shut her eyes, her hold on Piper's hands relaxed. It had been an incredibly long day for both of them, and Piper was just grateful to have each other now. She brought Alex's hand to her lips and kissed those fingers.

"Hmm, that feels good," Alex hummed sleepily.

In her little spoon position, Piper smiled to herself. For a moment, it felt like one of those peaceful days of their past. Piper clutched Alex's forearm and pressing her back harder against the taller woman. Alex's warm breaths that were tingling on her ear and neck assured her that the woman was still alive. Piper closed her eyes and contentedly let exhaustion took over.

* * *

"When will you learn not to piss Red off? She's Red, you know. You're not very bright, are you?" Nicky chewed a toothpick. She might have lost several pounds during the coma state, but she seemed rather energized, generally happy that her friends were here, waiting for her when she woke up. To be fair, Piper thought that Nicky looked better rested than Alex.

Alex was occupying the chair on the right side of Nicky's bed, Lorna on the left. She glanced up, visibly annoyed. "I'm not scared of her," she grunted.

"Like I said, not very bright. She could have made you into another Mendez. There's already an example for you. Look it up."

"You talk too much. Release date?"

Nicky pouted. "Sick of visiting already?"

"Hey, Alex was very worried about you," Piper chimed in. She was standing at the footboard of the bed, feeling uneasy at where the conversation was going. She knew that Alex had a fight with Red last night, but not in details. She didn't even know that Nicky was awake when it happened. Now the whole conversation felt as though the threat to Alex's memories was nothing. No, it wouldn't be _nothing_. It would kill Piper.

"Well, Blondie, I saved your girlfriend's ass again. Glad to be of help," Nicky said, and turned to Alex. "You're one lucky bastard. I was pretty sure that Red wasn't going to make you her new driver. She was probably planning to make you into a six-year-old again."

Piper stiffened, and Lorna quickly touched Piper's arm. "It wasn't that bad. Nichols here is probably exaggerating it a bit."

"No, I'm not. Vause was down on the floor, busted! She couldn't even properly count one to ten in the first two hours. Daya wanted to admit her and make her spend the night here. She was completely out."

Piper felt bile rising up her throat. She recalled how battered Alex had appeared last night. Alex had made light out of the situation. Even now. Piper had no idea how serious it was.

Alex groaned, arms across her chest. "Come on, she knew that I couldn't do much, if I didn't want to lose my residency here. Given a fair fight, I can fry her fat ass in seconds—"

"Do you think that's funny? You think that it's some kind of a joke?" Piper interrupted. Her voice was so loud that all the other occupants in the room stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at her.

Conscious of the stares, Piper took a deep breath in. She turned and left the room. She could hear Alex getting up from the chair, jogging down the corridor after her.

"Piper…! Pipes, come on. Don't do this." Alex grabbed Piper's arm, pulling her to a stop.

Piper turned to glare at the raven-haired woman. "How many times do we have to do this? When will you be honest with me?" Piper felt stupid. She should have known by seeing Alex's condition last night. She was frustrated that she kept being blinded by the thin veil that was Alex's lie.

Alex bit her bottom lip. "I didn't want to worry you. It wasn't the first time she tried this with me, you know that. Besides, I survived it. Everything is fine now."

"That's not good enough, Al," Piper said, and walked away.

* * *

Lorna peeked at the empty doorway, and then frowned at Nicky. "You are in so much trouble. What was that for?"

Nicky's eyes widened, chewing her toothpick. "Vause would never tell Chapman what really happened, so somebody had to do it."

"No. No. No. You're just messing things up!" the smaller woman hissed.

"I almost lost my best friend, OK? From what I saw, Red was fucking serious. She was going to kill her memories! Vause is gonna need all the help she can get. And her girlfriend is pretty badass, you know what I mean."

Lorna started to fiddle over her crochet. "You should start worrying about yourself, Nicky."

"What do you mean?"

Lorna continued to pretend to focus on her handiwork, her voice a little shaken. "You know, you just came out of the coma. Shouldn't you be thinking more about yourself, your future? I'm sure that those two can take care of themselves. They've gone through some tough situations before."

"Hey, you didn't see what happened last night. The shit came right out of a horror movie." Nicky grumbled. "But, hell, I'm alive and kicking. What more do I want? Can't get any better than this." She impatiently peeked up at the IV bags on the pole.

"Ms. Claudette said that you should refrain from using your powers for two more weeks. She advised that you shouldn't leave Litchfield until further notice."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me. I just woke up from a long-ass coma. I want some real food, not frozen meals in the canteen. Fuck that shit."

Lorna glowered at Nicky. "Well, that sounds a lot better than what we got in the South. Appreciate what you have, Nichols."

"I don't need your lecture." Nicky grumbled like a child. "By the way, how did the wedding go? I was unconscious for weeks. You must have been married by now."

There was a silence before Nicky looked up again. Lorna just watched her with a reluctant smile.

"You were in the coma for a month," Lorna said. "Vause was injured, too, and she was here for a week. They had to hide you two in the SHU, because the police came looking for Vause. Everyone wanted to be optimistic, but honestly, no one thought that you'd ever wake up again. Not even Red." She lifted her newly threaded, lime-colored crochet. "This isn't the first I've finished, while being here… every day. I've made three bags, a purse and two scarfs. This is my third hat."

"That's a lot of work." Nicky then took a long moment, studying the tiny woman. "You look very beautiful today, Morello. I think I haven't told you that."

Lorna tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling timidly. "Thank you."

They both stared into each other's eyes, and Lorna felt readier to open up.

"Christopher and I were never a thing. He asked me out once, but he never wanted to see me again after the first date. He told me that it wouldn't work. He said that I was just wrong for him."

Nicky remained quiet as Lorna continued to confess.

"I lied to everyone about dating him, because I felt that it was the right thing to be. For a long time, I thought it was. Until… until it looked like that you'd never wake up again. It got me thinking." Lorna dryly chuckled. "It was a little too late, but—"

"Not too late."

Lorna looked up at the wild-haired woman. Nicky did look a little exhausted after an intense morning, but the woman had refused to rest. Her gaze was confident, very much relaxed.

"I always knew that you were right for me," Nicky said.

Tears brimmed Lorna's eyes.

"And you can have my frozen meals, if you would marry me."

Lorna laughed. She got up from the chair and sat down on the edge of the bed. She pulled out a small, crimson-colored, crochet purse from her pocket. She hovered it over Nicky's open palm and shook it slightly. A paper ring slipped down and rested on Nicky's palm, light like a feather.

"Oh, my God, I didn't see that," a raspy voice interrupted.

Nicky and Lorna looked up to see Alex by the door, leaning against the doorframe. The newly engaged couple was grinning from ear to ear.

"No problem. I want a witness anyway," Nicky joked.

"Congratulations," Alex said, smiling.

"Thanks," Lorna said, shyly holding Nicky's hand.

"You look like shit. What happened?" Nicky asked.

Alex pushed the glasses up her nose. "She got mad. Thanks to you."

"Well, she has every right to be."

Alex groaned. "Nicky, I'm drowning right here. I can barely get by a day without getting into a fight with someone, and Piper is the last person that I want to fight with."

"Then start being honest with her!" Nicky slapped her own forehead.

Lorna nodded in agreement with her fiancée.

Alex moved into the room, taking up the seat again. "I wish that it's that easy. It's... complicated."

"What happened last night wasn't OK, Vause. If Red succeeded, we'd have lost you forever. It was just your goddamn luck that I just fucking happened to wake up right then. You won't get so lucky like this next time. Chapman has to know, so she can help you."

"And have her end up like you?" Alex shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

A moment of silence passed, and Nicky spoke again. Her tone softened. "Come on, it was an accident. Shit. You're still blaming yourself over it?"

"With me, there's never an accident. I keep hurting people around me, and it wasn't just you. You have no idea." Alex kept her gaze on the floor. "I can't lose her."

Nicky studied her friend, sighing. Alex was gone from Litchfield for eight years, and while Nicky knew a little about her new faction, she had no full details of what really happened. All she knew was that it had changed Alex. It had brought down the ruthless giant—shot down the burning star. It had toughened Alex, but also hollowed her out. She wouldn't ask, because her friend would never tell. Whatever nightmares she had. Whatever terrible things that had happened.

"She can't lose you either," Nicky simply said.

Alex didn't respond. Her hands clutched the armrests.

* * *

_Loud music blared through the first floor of the dance club, the crowd moving along the blinding rhythm. Inside a private room upstairs, Alex finished the third line of white powder on the table, inhaling deeply. She leaned back against the couch, and let her mind go wild. Away. She needed to be away. Tonight was one of those nights that the pain became unbearable. She needed to take her mind away from Piper. She wanted to forget Piper. She must._

_Piper had moved again. It had been nearly ten months since their breakup, but Alex still checked up on her occasionally. She wanted to make sure that Fahri hadn't found out. She still wanted to see Piper's face, but it cut deep into her heart every time Piper smiled for someone else that wasn't her._

_Piper had moved for the third time in ten months. Three different boyfriends (excluding a few other men and women she went on a date with)._

_The first was Alex's doctor, Dr. Madison. They dated for about six months. For a while, their relationship threatened and scared Alex. He was handsome. He had a respectable career. He had a bright future to offer Piper, something Alex didn't. Alex relished when Piper broke up with him and moved out. Alex only checked back on Madison's apartment once after their breakup, contented to see him sit alone on the couch in his dark living room, drinking up his Scotch. Piper left him. Piper didn't want him, his future or the security he could bring her. In the back of Alex's mind, it was a strange sort of triumph, an invisible battle she didn't fight, but won._

_Piper's next relationship was short-lived. She moved in with a male model she met in a club, but left only after a month. She lived at her parents' house for another month before hooking up with another man. _

_The third boyfriend was a Jewish, modest, young man. He was timid. He was nowhere near as handsome as Madison, or as charming as the model. He possessed nothing that could intimidate Alex, but Alex couldn't help but fear again. It agonized her every waking minute. It tortured her with all the possibilities he could have with Piper. It wasn't his wealth or his harmless career of a terrible writer that threatened Alex. It was the genuine, caring look he always gave Piper. This man truly loved Piper, and Alex could see it even from the distance. Deep in her heart, Alex knew that love was the only thing that she could offer Piper, and it was what made Piper stay with her. But now someone with the same ardent passion came into the picture, rivaling their past. _

_Within two months, Piper moved in with him._

_One night, the young man took Piper to meet his father, and when it turned out to be Howard Bloom, Alex's heart sank to the bottom of the ocean. _

_Alex knew that her hate for Howard was unfair. Unlike her own father, Howard had done nothing wrong to her mother. He had loved Diane and helped her, but Alex just didn't want to get used to _kindness_. She refused to fall for the illusion, afraid to get hurt again. But, now, his son was doing everything for the woman Alex loved, while she could just watched, powerless._

_Flashes of lightning began to blaze in the night sky. Alex couldn't help it. She couldn't control it. She felt a heavy trail of tear slide down her beating heart, and she was angry with herself that she still felt things that she should not._ _She was standing just outside the window to the living room of the Blooms mansion, watching Larry and Piper fight for the TV remote control, laughing with each other. Then they talked about their diets, updated each other on their friends' lives, and debated which parties they wanted to go this weekend. They seemed to be even more in-tune with each other than Alex had previously thought. Larry was in the same league with 'Piper Chapman'. They fitted like two pieces of puzzles made for each other. Alex couldn't feel more like an outsider—an old painting, left forgotten in the attic, never to be found again._

"_To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" _

_Alex stiffened by the voice interrupting. She silently reprimanded herself for being so reckless, but it was to be expected whenever her mind revolved around Piper. She was her weakness._

_Alex suppressed her sigh, and turned to smirk at the man. "Hey, Howard."_

"_It's been a long while since you've paid me a visit. How is life treating you?" Howard was in a crimson sweater and a pair of khaki pants. His glasses were new and clear. His hands were warm in his pockets. He glanced into the living room. "Are you here for her?"_

_It didn't surprise Alex that Howard instantly caught on that Piper had to be one of the recruits Alex was after. She could sense the hint of worry in his voice. As far as she knew, Howard's son turned out to be an ordinary human. Larry would be defenseless against an intruder like Alex._

_Alex took one last look at Piper. Just Piper, excluding the competitor—the fears. She just watched Piper. Her precious. Her love. _

_Alex turned to Howard again and said, "No, I'm not here to take her. She's found her place." With that, she walked away. She didn't know where the dark, lonely path would take her, but she knew that she had to go. It was time. It was for Piper._

"_Everyone will eventually find their place, Alex." Howard's words followed her, but she didn't look back._

"_I've found mine," Alex said._

"_I'll be waiting for you." _

_Alex kept walking. She wanted to laugh at Howard's optimism. She didn't know what he saw in her, or what he had hoped of her. Perhaps, it was just his love for Diane that had blinded him. Perhaps, it was just her own fears that had blinded her._

_That night, Alex returned to the club, where Fahri and the rest were partying at. To Fahri, her drugs abuse sprung from the grief over Piper's death, and Alex was just too happy to play the part._

"_Slow down, will you? I can't afford to have you OD." Fahri shook his head._

_Alex cut out another set of three lines of white powder. She took them in. She let it take her away. Far away from all her dreams. From Piper._

_Alex never saw Piper again until their paths crossed in Litchfield three years later._

* * *

The large warehouse located along the south shore of the island, serving as an auto repair, or just about any mechanical repairs the residents need. There were at least six mechanics working, and quite a few dozens of residents hanging around. Scooters, motorcycles, three-wheelers, PlayStation and Xbox consoles were among popular items in the warehouse.

With her blonde, silky hair and fair skin, Piper hardly blended in with the crowd. It was the first time she had been to the warehouse. She didn't feel particularly interested in all the mechanical stuff, but they didn't appall her either. Stella had shown Piper around like it was her own backyard, and it had been a fun, few hours for Piper. At any rate, it managed to take her mind off things, in particular, her concerns over a certain, stubborn brunette.

Piper pursed her lips at the hundredth time her mind revolving back to this morning. She wanted to touch Alex again—to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her. To tell her how much she meant to her. But she doubted that Alex would understand. Alex seemed to understand anything but the depth of Piper's love for her. Alex was devoted to her without expecting anything in return, and that just killed Piper.

Pools of sunlight shone down through the row of five skylights. Piper followed as Stella and her friend, Kyle, the mechanic, examined Falcon's broken arm on one of the large, wooden tables.

"I need Wedge to get these items for me. These parts are very old and rusty. That's why it broke easily." Kyle pointed to the messy web of wires inside the robot's arm, which Piper had no idea what exactly he was pointing at.

Stella lightly elbowed Kyle. "Now you make it sound like it wasn't Chapman and Red's amazing powers that broke his arm!"

"It was. But Falcon is old, too. Another reason for it to break." Kyle was a bearded, fifty-year-old man with short, gray hair, and a kind smile. "I think that it'd take only about a week to fix."

"Thank you. But Red specifically told me to fix it." Piper inwardly grumbled.

"You can help. I can show you a few things. But don't worry about it. I doubt that Red wanted you to become a mechanic. I don't plan to retire anytime soon. I love Litchfield!"

"I'll give the list to Wedge today. Thanks, Kyle," Stella said.

"See you guys tomorrow." Kyle tipped his cap and walked off.

Stella turned to Piper. "See? Piece of cake. You don't even have to lift a hand. The other mechanics are too scared of Red to take up the job. Kyle's the man!"

Piper walked out of the warehouse, a cup of hot black coffee in her hand. She took a sip, gazing down at the distant, southern shores below. Alex's favorite spot was about ten miles south. Although Alex was likely at the infirmary with Nicky, Piper briefly entertained the idea that it was where her girlfriend might be. She liked to imagine Alex relax along the shore, humming and smiling at the bluest sky. She liked to imagine them in each other's arms, safe and contented, away from all troubles. But she knew that those days were only a distant dream. Not when Kubra still had Diane. Not when Red was trying to get Alex. Piper had to be strong enough to protect her.

"Chapman… Chapman..."

"What?" Piper snapped out of her thought. She turned to see a frown on Stella's face, which was now only an inch next to hers. She immediately took a step back, and Stella laughed.

"I called you for about five times, and you weren't here. What were you thinking about?"

"I—I just thought that maybe I should try to fix Falcon myself. What if the others tell Red that Kyle helps me? He could get into trouble."

"There's no need to worry. Red and Kyle are old friends!" Stella laughed, and Piper began to relax. "But I don't think you were really thinking about Falcon. Is something troubling you?"

Piper raised a brow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "I thought that you could walk through walls, and not reading mind."

"I could walk through the wall of your heart." Stella put both hands on her chest.

Piper narrowed her eyes. "That is the cheesiest thing I've heard in a long time."

"You're not impressed," Stella groaned.

"I have a—"

"An Alex?"

Piper stopped for a second. "That sounds about right," she said. For a complete stranger, Stella surely had paid attention to her. She had been spending time in the South, but mostly kept to Alex's room. She didn't recall having seen Stella before. Perhaps, she had been concentrating on Alex so much that everything else was just background.

"Right. I've been fooling around for too long now. I've got something to show you." Stella pulled out a contraband cell phone out of her pocket.

"What are you doing!? People could have seen us!" Piper hissed, trying to use her body to block out the view from the warehouse.

Stella handed her the cell phone. Piper took the device and held it low, glancing around to make sure that nobody was watching them. She then began to slide through the images on the screen.

Piper paused. Chill ran down her spine, gripping her to the core. There were a few photos taken of her in the North campus. Some showed her coming in and out of the South. Several with Alex. But what struck Piper the most was the lone picture of Diane. It showed Diane seated on a chair in the center of what appeared to be a dark room. Her hair was greasy. Sweaty, blotchy skin. Dilated pupil. Clouded gaze. There were no wounds visible, but the poor woman looked scared out of her mind.

Piper shoved the phone at Stella's chest, growling in her face. "What do you want?"

"You have an obligation to fulfill, Chapman."

"Talk."

Stella peeked past Piper's shoulder, and then smirked. "Stay still," she ordered. Then she closed in on Piper and pecked her on the lips.

Piper froze. She stared down her nose, blue eyes cold. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Behave, or Diane gets hurt."

Piper closed her eyes. "I will fucking break your fucking neck, Carlin."

"Have you killed? I doubt that you have it in you. I was surprised when Danny called me to keep an eye on you." Stella shrugged.

Piper clenched her fists. "I'd suggest you not to test me right now."

"Will you kill for Vause? Really? You'd murder, forever damning your own life, for someone like her? Once you commit it, you can never take it back, Chapman."

Piper took a step back from Stella. Nobody had to tell her that she was scared. The idea alone terrified her. Murder was unimaginable to her. But when Alex's life was on the line, Piper didn't feel that she had any other choice. "I will do anything to keep her safe," she said, and she meant every word of it.

"We'll find out soon enough." Smirking, Stella then held up the list. "I'll give this to Wedge. I truly wanna help." She winked at Piper before going back into the warehouse.

Piper fought to restrain herself from punching that wink into oblivion. She wiped her lips with the back of her hands. _Fucking bitch. _Only when she turned around that she saw Alex at the foot of the hill. She had no idea how long Alex had been standing there. Alex's face was expressionless, and Piper stiffened at once, realizing why Stella kissed her.

"Hey—" Piper moved towards her girlfriend, but Alex turned away. "Wait. Alex…! Alex!" She sprinted after the taller woman, having a bit of difficulty catching up with Alex's long strides.

Out of breath, Piper caught up. She grabbed Alex's arm and turned her around. They were a good distance away from the warehouse now. The sound of waves crashing against the shores grew louder as they had trekked down the path.

"It wasn't what you think. She just kissed me, that asshole. I didn't do anything. In fact, I just knew her yesterday. I swear to God, Alex. You have to believe me. There's nothing going on between us."

Alex studied Piper for a moment, her facial expression calm. "You didn't pull away," she remarked.

Piper stalled. She couldn't possibly tell Alex what she and Stella were talking about. And she wondered if Alex had heard any of their conversations. "I—I was shocked. But I did warn her not to do that again. I was very upset."

Without another word, Alex just sighed and started walking down the hill.

Piper felt her heart twist in panic. She was frustrated and angry at herself for letting Stella play her so easily. She hurried after Alex. "Alex! It was really nothing! Do you want me to prove it to you? I can. I can go back right now and kick her ass, if you want. Al, please, you have to believe—ouch—" She ran into Alex's back when the taller woman suddenly stopped in her tracks. Frowning, she rubbed her nose a bit and looked up at Alex.

Alex turned around and said, "Shut up. I believe you."

"Really? You do?" Piper beamed, her cheeks hurting.

Alex let out a snicker. "C'mere." She put her arm around Piper's shoulder.

Piper immediately clutched the hand hanging down her shoulder, afraid that Alex might change her mind. She kept gazing at Alex all the while they started down the path together. The leafy, tall trees made a perfect roof over their heads. The mild wind brought along the smell of salt from the sea.

"Watch where you're going."

Piper grinned like a fool. "I'm happy that you believe me."

"I don't think that she's your type. Ninja turtles tattoo. A Justin Bieber wannabe." Alex rolled her eyes.

Piper stopped, her hand slipping from Alex's. She couldn't believe what Alex had just said. Alex simply didn't trust her.

"By the way, good news from the infirmary. Nicky and Morello are getting married. Can you believe that? God knows how many times they've hooked up and broken up before. I wanted to come find you to deliver the news, but that Carlin just kinda ruined the mood now." Alex strolled down the path, hands in her pockets.

"That's great. I'm happy for them," Piper said. Her voice was a little strained, and Alex was quick to pick it up.

Alex stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder, their gazes locked.

"I mean, I'm not surprised at all. Lorna visits Nicky every day. Of course, she loves her. When there's love, you can always see it in their eyes." Piper kept her gaze on Alex for a long moment, and it was Alex who looked away first.

Alex kicked at the dirt and continued down the trail. "You know, there's an old warehouse about fifteen minutes from here. It was smaller than the one running right now. They keep old stuff there. You might find something interesting."

Piper followed the raven-haired woman, hugging her arms tightly. She wasn't cold, but her anger was seeping through to the surface, burning her inside. She wanted to tell Alex how much she loved her. She wanted to show Alex all that she felt, but she wasn't sure how to make Alex believe her.

Alex took a left turn, and led them to the abandoned warehouse. It was a high-ceiling, crimson-painted building. She pushed the door open with her foot, the dust fuming out. "This was where Falcon was manufactured. She's one of the oldest models that's still in use. The older models were left to rot here. Now they just buy from the Japanese and the Germans."

Piper followed into the building. The floor was vastly empty, covered with a thin layer of dust. A few, long tables, chairs and shelves were left scattered, some knocked down. There were a twin set of large windows on the left wall, letting light stream into the warehouse.

"Why are you showing me this?" Piper wondered aloud.

Alex moved further into the building, and then stopped in middle of the warehouse. She began to kick the dust on the floor.

"Alex, what the hell?" Piper buried her nose at the crook of her arm, coughing at the fume of dust.

Alex bent down to grab what seemed to be a ring-shaped handle secured on the floor. She pulled up the door and pushed it back, letting it slap down against the floor.

"Sweet." Grinning, Alex turned to gesture at Piper. "C'mere."

Piper waved away the dust as she moved closer to Alex. They were kneeling side by side, but she still felt an invisible wall between them. She wanted to reach out for Alex, but she wouldn't.

Alex gestured down at the nine bodies of metal lying in the underground compartment. They were much slimmer and smaller than Falcon. Their average height was only about eight feet tall.

"The one on the left is 'Ava', the first robot ever made here. Howard was very proud of her. She made it to the covers of a few magazines, you know. Damn, it was so long ago. I can't remember the names. But she was too slow, and short-circuited a lot during trainings. After a few years, she had to be replaced by newer models."

Piper bent a little to get a closer look at the robot. "God, she's beautiful," she murmured in awe.

Gold-painted body. Although in some parts, the gold had peeled away through the years. A single, narrow visor acted as her eyes. Her facial structure was slim. Her body had sharp curves that were accentuated as armor. Her arms and legs were long and slender like those of elves. Ava appeared more of a work of art than a training robot.

Alex proceeded to explain the other robots. Piper looked up, watching green eyes sparkle as the woman spoke. She was surprised that Alex still got her every time, even after all these years, or even now that she was still upset with her.

"That's Victor. He's small, so they used him to train children, or newer residents. But he kept breaking down, and it was getting really expensive to fix him. Once they had to send him to Germany due to some mechanical problems. So, after a while, they… they stopped… using him..." Alex's words trailed off when she glanced up and met with the blue eyes.

Piper held their gaze, her chin resting on her palm. She was making sure to let Alex know what was on her mind.

Alex didn't look away this time, but she didn't speak further either. Alex had been trying to distract them from the anger and frustration, but they both knew that it wasn't working. That fire was still burning in their hearts, waiting to explode.

Piper winced when Alex grabbed her face. Alex pulled her closer, her right thumb wiping along Piper's lips. The movement was agonizingly slow at first but roughened up until it hurt. It was as though Alex was trying to brush off any marks Stella had left on Piper. Alex's touches were anything but gentle, and Piper bit back the cry. She wanted Alex to brush it off, to reclaim her. She couldn't hold herself back anymore. She pressed into the taller woman, capturing Alex's lips hungrily. Alex immediately returned her the attention she needed.

"You're mine." The husky voice whispered as Alex bit Piper's bottom lip.

Piper moaned into her lover's mouth, their hot breaths mingled. _Alex. _If only Alex could hear her—feel what her heart was beating for.

* * *

It was almost dusk when Piper woke again. Warm, pinkish light streamed in through the murky windows, partially illuminating their bodies. They were lying naked on the floor, their jackets and sweaters spread out beneath them. Piper rested her chin on Alex's chest, studying the sleeping face. She had let Alex take her again and again, and she claimed Alex in return. She wanted Alex to know that they belonged to each other, body and soul.

"And you're mine," Piper whispered, entranced by the sight before her.

Alex opened her eyes, groaning a little. She rubbed her eyes, glancing around. "What time is it? I can't believe we overslept."

"Did I wear you out?"

Alex chuckled. "That's more like my question."

"Well, in that case..." Piper pecked Alex's lips before climbing on top of her, straddling her thigh.

"Piper?" Still a little groggy, Alex ran her hands up and down along the blonde's sides.

Piper began to move her hips, slowly at first, but then picked up the pace. They moaned in unison, instantly aroused. Green eyes were clear now, staring up at Piper. Alex's hands eventually slid down to her buttocks, gripping her, urging her to go faster.

"You're so beautiful," Alex muttered hotly, thirst in her voice.

Piper tried to muffle her cries, only to break down into louder, choked sobs. Her juices wetted Alex's thigh, dripping down to the jacket beneath them. Soft, low groans escaped Alex's throat as she slipped one hand between Piper's legs, drawing a heated cry from the blonde. Gripping Alex's shoulders, Piper lifted her hips up a little higher, riding hard as Alex worked on her.

"Oh… oh, God, Al…!" Piper panted. She was almost there, but abruptly pulled away, earning a frustrated groan from her lover. She shakily repositioned herself, so that their faces were between each other's legs. Piper dove her head down and caught Alex's sensitive flesh in her mouth, sucking it. Alex's hips jerked repeatedly in response.

"Pipes—ah—"

Piper moaned against her lover's heat, kissing her deep. Alex was already wet that Piper didn't have to work very hard to arouse her. She tried to lick her dry, taking in all of her scent.

Breathless, Alex responded with equal passion, giving all her attention to Piper's needs. Piper could feel the woman trembling under her, and she knew that Alex was closer than she had thought. She picked up the speed of her tongue, while holding down Alex's quivering thighs.

They both rocked against each other's face, their centers burning. Their lips were bruised and hungry. Piper slipped first, crying out Alex's name again and again, and Alex soon followed with deep, throaty moans. They rode hard until they couldn't feel their legs anymore, completely spent. As their orgasms subsided, they lied back down, gasping for breaths.

Alex took a moment to collect herself. "C'mere," she muttered.

Piper obeyed. She moved up, meeting Alex with light kisses before lying down next to her. Still slightly shaken, she rested her head against the pale shoulder, one hand on the heaving chest. She loved how she made Alex come. How deep and soft Alex's cries were compared to the sharp, violent rocking of her body. Piper pecked the freckles on the shoulder, claiming them. They were like stars in the milky sky.

In comfortable silence, Alex was staring up at the ceiling. The pinkish light was streaming down through the skylights, softly illuminating the warehouse. "This warehouse was my favorite place to hang when I was a kid. Not that I was into mad trainings or something, but it was the only place I could let off some steam."

"Poor robots. Imagine the angry, little Alex running around, blasting lightning for fun," Piper joked. But then her face fell a bit. "When we were together for a year, you hardly ever talked about your childhood. But you knew about me. That's not fair. I want to know more. Tell me more."

Alex chortled. She traced her fingertips along Piper's sun-kissed shoulder blade. "Well, according to my mom, my father is a rock God, who left her even before she gave birth to me. I believe that they still communicated, but I didn't ask. I didn't want to know, and mom just kind of respected that."

Piper grimaced at the mention of Diane's husband. Lee was the reason Diane's safe house was found. Danny must have tracked Lee down, and he sold Diane out. He unknowingly put both Diane and Alex in grave danger, trapping Piper in this web of retribution. She didn't want to imagine how furious Alex would be if she found out what Lee had done.

"We didn't have much. Mom had three—no, four jobs, and her health deteriorated as she grew older. She had some serious back problems, and needed surgeries. So I planned to leave Litchfield to get a job. We really needed the money."

Piper pressed her body closer to Alex, twirling the dark strands of hair around her fingers. "Is that why you left for other faction?"

Alex paused for a long moment before she said, "No. Howard helped us out financially. They had a brief affair, but he's loved her for many years."

The admission took Piper by surprise. She lifted her head, gazing at Alex. "I've heard Polly mention it, but… it's nice to hear it from you."

Alex pulled Piper closer, if that was possible, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry that we didn't have an honest start. I'll make it up to you this time, I promise."

Piper smiled widely, nuzzling up against Alex's neck. With Alex's arms wrapped protectively around her, there was no other place in the world she would like to be right now. It felt like a dream to her. Just a month ago, she was still engaged. She still had a normal life waiting for her out there. Some kind of an idea of security—a future. But things never seemed to go as planned whenever Alex was involved. It was inevitable to her. Alex was.

"I'm so glad we met again," Piper murmured.

Alex hummed happily, "Me, too."

"My life was kind of boring. I had everything, but I still felt empty. I wanted to go out there. I wanted to face all the adventures, you know. I wanted to feel alive." Piper sat up and gazed down at Alex. "But my adventure stops here. With you."

There was a look of both surprise and happiness in Alex's eyes, and Piper just felt warm in her heart. She brushed the strands of raven hair from the pale face. "When I leave Litchfield, I'll start a business. I'm really into skin products. I've talked to Polly about it. She seems to like the idea a lot. She makes soaps and shampoos, but she's pretty clueless about marketing. It could work. I think it'll work."

Alex rubbed Piper's arms. "I'm sure you'll work something out. You're a bright, young woman."

"And you can go back to school. Get a real degree. Get a job. We could have a normal life together."

Alex raised her brows, chuckling. "That sounds like a plan."

"I'm serious! We have to make it work. We _can_ make it work. Don't you believe in us?"

Alex sighed. "I'm on the run, Pipes. I've got very few options left. Either I have to hide here forever, or I have to kill Kubra. The second choice doesn't seem to be very practical. He's surrounded by his bodyguards at all times." Alex grumbled as she traced her fingers along Piper's clavicle. "Can't we just enjoy what we have now? Let's not worry about tomorrow, because I don't know what's gonna happen. God, I've fucked up so much. You have no idea how many times I've wished to turn back the time. All the fucked up things that I've done. I… I'm so sorry that I—"

Piper bent down to silence Alex with a deep, feverish kiss. They both were a little breathless when Piper broke away, cupping Alex's face with both hands. "I'm not sorry. I love you, and I don't regret it." She kissed Alex again, needing to breathe her in. She murmured against the full lips. "Will you marry me?"

Alex stared at Piper, momentarily dumbfounded. "What?"

Piper wasn't sure what she had expected, but her face turned cold. She straightened up as Alex stuttered for words.

"I—I can't. No, Pipes, we can't."

Piper felt her heart crushed in her chest, but she managed to keep a straight face.

Alex sat up, so that their faces were leveled with each other. She tenderly held Piper's hands, her thumb caressing Piper's fingers. "Listen, we've just got back together for three weeks, Pipes. Everything is still so… so uncertain. But, at least, we've got each other now. What's the hurry?"

Piper stiffened as Alex studied her, her hands cold in Alex's hold. In truth, she was scared of what tomorrow might bring. She was scared that she wouldn't be able to fight Kubra. She was scared for Alex's safety even more now that Stella was in the picture. She was scared that she wouldn't be able to get Diane back. She was scared that if she fucked it all up, there would be no turning back. All her fears were flooding fast, driving up tears to her eyes. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't hold back anymore. Tears founded their way out, sliding down her cheeks.

"Pipes? What's wrong? What's going on?" Alex looked alarmed, holding Piper's face.

Piper smiled a little as Alex's thumbs wiped the tears from her cheeks. She shook her head. "I was just thinking… how we wasted four years of our lives being apart. I always thought about you even when I was with someone new. Even when I got engaged to Larry. You were always on my mind." She gazed into the green eyes, sensing how Alex's hands slightly grew rigid. "I always compared them to you. They were better—safer choices, I knew that. They were what I should expect. But, here I am, regretting it. I wish that I could get those four years back. I want them back. I want more time with you." More tears flooded down her cheeks, and she couldn't control her sob now.

Alex instantly pulled Piper close, her left hand caressing the back of Piper's head, her other hand on the small of her back. She cooed into her ear. "Hey, it's ok. We're ok, Pipes. We're together now. That's all that matters, right?"

Piper slowly broke from the embrace. She watched Alex for the longest time, her hands stroking her face. "If something happens, you have to know that I love you."

Alex frowned. "Piper—"

"Say it. Tell me that you believe it."

"What's this—"

"Please, Al… _Please_."

It took Alex a long moment before she sighed in defeat. She gazed into the blue orbs, clutching the hand that was caressing her face. "No matter what happens, you know that I love you, too."

Upon their confessions, their bodies reacted on their own. They moved closer, and their lips crashed against each other. Their hands roamed all over their hair and bodies. For a fleeting moment, they felt like nothing could come between them.

Nothing at all.

* * *

**A/N:** story is outlined for 24 chapters. Not too far now. Thanks for reading! xoxo


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

* * *

The South canteen was terribly crowded at breakfast. Today was one of their lucky days; eggs and buttered breads were available for the residents. But Alex had lost her appetite. She was seated at the fifth table on the left along with Lorna and Daya. Her tray was still full, a cup of black coffee untouched. Her gaze was fixed on the TV mounted on the wall to her right. It was a huge news, earning cheering and yelling from many residents. Kubra's headquarters in Cairo and Istanbul were raided last night by armed forces. Both attacks cost the syndicate seventy-eight casualties in total. Judging from the number alone, Kubra's faction was literally crushed in half overnight. The loss would put an enormous strain on the faction as a whole. After all these years, Kubra was finally challenged.

It was supposed to be a great news, but Alex's heart grew heavy with worries. It must have been that night when Red dug into her mind and stole the information from her memories. It must have been Red who leaked the information to the police. It had been only two weeks ago, and the governments had worked incredibly fast. Alex was more than certain that she was at the top of Kubra's blacklist now. He would believe that she had sold the information against him. He would kill her and everyone she loved.

Kubra Balik possessed a calm exterior, but only those closest to him knew that he was a walking, vicious volcano waiting to erupt. His anger was unmatched. His vindictive nature was endless. He never let betrayers go unpunished. At this moment, her worries were Diane and Piper. They were the two most important people in her life, and it scared her that Kubra knew all of this. It was only a matter of time before the whole mess would explode.

Without a word, Alex got up and left the table, while Morello and Daya looked on, bewildered.

* * *

Six buzzes on the other end of the line, ongoing. Alex tightly held the phone to her ear. She was in the third telephone booth in the lobby. It was loud, and she plugged one finger in her free ear.

_Come on. Come on, pick up the phone, mom—_

"Hey, baby."

Alex closed her eyes, sighing deeply. _Thank God._ "Hey, mom. How are you?"

"I—I'm good."

Alex could hear Diane trying to muffle her coughs. "You're ok?"

"Yes, of course!" Diane cleared her throat. "You call early today. Is everything all right?"

"You've seen the news? Kubra's headquarters had been attacked. Turn on your TV. It should be on right now."

"I… I've heard about it. Isn't that great, Alex? We can go home now. I'm so sick of this place. You know, I miss my shifts at Friendly's. I never thought that I would say that, but I really do miss it." Diane gave a dry laugh.

Alex frowned. "No, mom, this is bad. He's gonna make our lives a living hell. Well, he already has, but you know what I mean. You have to be extra careful. Don't trust anyone. Do you hear me? Don't talk to anybody. Don't leave the house, if you can help it. He's gonna do everything he can to find us. There's no stopping until I—"

"Whatever you do, you have to stay alive, Alex. It's an order."

Alex inwardly sighed. She knew how Kubra thought, how his methods worked. He instilled fears in his followers. It was how he kept them in line. It was how he ran his faction. After the disastrous losses of his men, he would raid the earth to find her and her loved ones to make an example of. Piper was safe with her in Litchfield, and she just hoped that Diane had strictly followed her instructions. "I'm sorry that I've put you through this. I should have thought things through. I should have taken a different route, a more honest route. I failed you, mom. Please… forgive me," Alex breathed. She paused when she caught Diane's quiet sobs. "Mom?"

"I'm still here." Diane sounded a little shaky, and Alex knew that her mother must have been crying. "I love you, baby. Remember that I named you after your grandfather. He possessed the powers of lightning just like you do. He was a brave man. Special. You are."

Alex let out a throaty groan, glancing around as a few residents walked past by. "Yeah, he fried grandmother at dinner. Special, all right. That's not something people forget."

"See, but I still loved him. And I love you no matter what. Don't you ever forget that."

Alex had to chuckle. She had always admired Diane Vause's spirit. "Ok. I won't. Love you, too."

* * *

Falcon was fixed within the period of two weeks just as Red ordered, so Piper was in a better mood this morning. At least, there was one less thing to worry about.

Piper met up with Lorna in the back of the Zone, the large building that accommodated several gyms for powers trainings. Red had granted the backyard to hold the wedding ceremony. It was supposed to be just a small gathering, but many South residents had asked if they could come. Nicky had frequented the South for years, and she had many friends from there.

"Are you excited?" Piper asked, stacking up ten boxes of cocktail plates. With limited budget Nicky had, she was careful not to order too many. They had counted about 60 guests, tripling the number of actual invitations.

"Very." Lorna chortled, her hands fidgety over the bags of tissue poms poms flowers. "My whole life, I've always imagined how grand and romantic my wedding would be. But this isn't so bad."

Piper glanced up at the soon-to-be bride, feeling the love in her eyes. "Not at all, I'd say."

The wedding would be tomorrow. Tables were arranged. The canvas roofs were set up.

Lorna smiled, and then continued with her tasks. "What about you and Vause? Any good news soon?"

The question was harmless, but it stalled Piper. Everything had been smooth between Alex and her. They had spent every night together, warm in each other's arms. But Piper would only go to sleep until Alex woke up, fearing Stella attacking them in the middle of the night. Stella hadn't approached her again since that day at the warehouse, and thankfully, stayed out of her way while she visited the warehouse to fix Falcon. It was as if Stella had been ordered to stay away from Piper, and Piper had no complaint over it. She didn't entertain the idea of having to see an upset Alex again, although she must admit that she liked seeing the jealous side from her.

Piper stared straight into the woods, momentarily lost in her thoughts. On the outside, everything seemed so ordinary. But there was always the ultimate question in the back of her mind. When would it happen? How would it end? What would she become?

Piper shook her head a bit, offering her friend a small smile. "We've never really discussed it," she said. She didn't want to remember how Alex shot down her proposal out of her uncertainty of Piper's love. It disgusted her. She disgusted herself. It was unforgivable how she had made Alex feel after all this time. "No, actually, I asked her to marry me, but she said 'no'. She didn't think that I really loved her," Piper eventually admitted.

Lorna gasped. "Oh, no, Chapman."

"When I really thought about what I'd done, I can't really blame her. I put her through hell." Piper rolled her eyes. "She put me through hell, too, but we just didn't realize that we did. We fucked each other up."

"We all do sometimes. But it's all in the past now, right?"

Piper nodded, but the thought of her involvement with Danny and Stella kept hammering in her head. She was fucking it up big time, but she didn't know how to stop it.

Piper pretended to be busy arranging the tables and chairs. "Hey, do you know anything about Stella Carlin? Where's she from?"

"Oh, a petty thief. Orphan. Our resident tattoo artist. She's here and there. She's been in and out of Litchfield for a few years now. Never stayed for too long. She has criminal records, so she has to move often."

Piper raised her brows. "But don't they check on their history before accepting them into the island?"

"Almost everyone in the South has records, Chapman. But Mr. Bloom is lenient with us, knowing that we've got nowhere else to go."

"But it's dangerous. We'd never know when an enemy is among us."

"Oh, don't worry. Red has screened everyone. She knows everything." Lorna smiled as she unfolded some of the tablecloths.

_Red_.

Piper paused. As if on cue, she turned to see Red standing by the corner of the Zone. The instructor had been watching her. "I'll be right back," she said to Lorna, walking off to Red's direction.

Piper and Red moved further away from the backyard, trekking deeper into the woods. When Piper was sure that no one was near enough to hear them, she turned to snarl in Red's face. "You knew all along! You knew that Carlin is a mole, but you still let her in. You've endangered Alex's life, and mine, too! How could you!?"

"Vause and Carlin aren't the only ones who have had histories in Kubra's faction. Members came and left. You can never be sure with the South residents. They're lost causes. What's more important is the big picture. Kubra. We have to get to him. _You_ can get to him. He wants you. Carlin will take you there."

Piper bit her bottom lip. Many things stormed through her mind. She clenched her fists, her palms sweaty. "Enough with your secret agendas. Enough with your shit, Red. Just tell me how to end it, how to fight him."

"He can steal your powers with just a glance at you. _A glance_. And you'd be rendered an ordinary human. Powerless. A stone. He is like a Medusa. And he has at least half a dozen men around him at all times." Red smirked, arms across her chest. "Still think you'd be up for the job?"

Piper's legs felt like lead as she stumbled back a step. _Without my powers?_

"But that's your only chance to get close to him. He can have your powers, but you have to use your brains. Good news is that he can only steal from one source at a time, and the source must remain close to him. Those men around him aren't just there to guard him, but to keep the powers source close." Red squeezed Piper's slim shoulder. "You'll have to fight as an ordinary human, if you want to help Vause. The chance will present itself. Make it count."

Piper just gulped as Red turned and walked away, her spirit sunken.

* * *

Lunch was over, and Piper headed directly to the South Mansion. The two-hour-sleep-a-day for the past weeks was literally killing her. Her hands balled inside her sweater pockets, she walked into the building, stoic and slow like a zombie going up the stairs. Her balance must have swayed, bumping into several people, but she didn't stop to care. She just wished to reach Alex's room as soon as possible, wanting to take the usual nap. She would only go to sleep after Alex awoke. She even pretended to be interested in playing her PS Vita all night, and she was grateful that Alex seemed to have bought it.

Blue eyes closed for a brief moment. Her legs knew their paces by heart as she walked along the narrow corridor. She just wanted to have a moment of peace, shutting out everyone around her—every snicker and shout in the hallway.

"Hey, there."

The small greeting ruthlessly pulled Piper out of her trance. Piper stopped in her tracks. Her head snapped to her right, her eyes narrowed. It was Stella. The heavily tattooed woman softly motioned her to move slightly to the left wall to give way for other passersby.

"You look tired. Been waiting for me all night?"

Piper laughed a muted laugh. She wanted to rip the woman's throat off.

"You know where my room is."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

Piper stalled. Yes, she did know where Stella's room was. It was eight rooms down the hallway, narrow and dingy like what most other rooms in the South were. Alex's was much cleaner compared to most other occupants in the mansion. "I do, so watch out."

Stella chuckled. "Or we could be civil about it. How about me inviting you in?"

"I can unlock any door I want." Piper darkly remembered the nights when she stood in the corner of Stella's room, watching her prey asleep. She had wanted to put her hands around the woman's neck, or put a pillow on her face. Or her invisible hand around her windpipe. She had wanted to put an end to this agony, but dawn had always stopped her. The light. However small it was between the curtains.

"I've been waiting for you. Thought that you'd visit, or maybe you'd want to, but too scared," Stella whispered, moving closer that their faces were only an inch apart.

Piper didn't move away. She was feeling anything but thrilled. "You have no idea," she said.

Stella smiled widely. Piper didn't know what she had insinuated to earn that smile, but whatever worked for her. "I'll see you tonight then?"

Piper inwardly groaned. "Why tonight? Anything you wanna tell me now?"

Stella pressed in, hooking her hands at the back of Piper's neck. Their gazes were locked, and Piper didn't move away. Piper didn't have the energy to back away. She was just tired and angry about everything. She wanted her nap.

"I've got so much to tell," Stella whispered.

Piper frowned as Stella let go and walked away. Piper barely looked over her shoulder and, for a moment, thanked God that she was left alone again. She took a few steps forward before coming to a sudden halt at the dimming, green gaze by the doorway that was her destination. Alex had been watching. Again. Alex didn't say anything. Her face was as expressionless as ever as she turned and retreated into her room.

Piper had to remind herself to breathe. So many things could go so wrong in just a few careless moments.

* * *

_Alex was in euphoria. She was floating high in the sky, and then diving deep into the ocean the next. So fast. So blissful. It all felt so surreal, but also tangible somehow. She couldn't tell the time. She couldn't tell where she was. She was just 'being'._

_A rough grip at her collar slowly registered in her mind. Then, furious shouts, and angry gaze of dark eyes. Alex took a moment to understand what was going on. She nodded at Fahri while she had no idea what he was saying to her. It was just what she knew she should do—programmed to follow orders._

"_It was her! I fucking saw her! You fucking lied to me!"_

_Sitting on the floor of the private room in the dance club, Alex was leaning against the couch, dreamily chuckling at how serious Fahri looked. "Who?"_

_Fahri pulled her violently, shaking her. "Piper fucking Chapman! I just saw her in the parking lot with a friend. You told me that she was dead!"_

Piper. Fucking. Chapman.

_Alex slowly blinked. It took a moment before the name slipped its meaning into her head._

Of course, Piper.

_Alex tiredly rubbed her face before looking away from Fahri. The past had eventually caught up with her, and she felt unprepared no matter how many months and years she had spent convincing herself that everything would go as planned. She had failed. It was time to pay for her sin._

* * *

_It was how madness began. Fahri was driving, his eyes darkened to pitch black. On the ride to the destination, Alex had to think fast of what to do, especially her mother's safety. She had to come up with plans for the both of them._

_Once they reached the building, Fahri led her to the rooftop. A cigarette between his lips, he gestured down at the window to the third room on the first floor across the street. Alex followed his gaze to the lit apartment. Of course, it was Piper. _

_Alex gritted her teeth. Piper was still with the same man she saw three years ago. It seemed serious, and Alex hated it. She had once thought that she could let go of all those feelings for Piper, but rage had quickly built up inside of her instead. She felt bitter that Piper still had a hold on her as if no time had passed. She wanted to storm into the room and tore everything down, tearing them apart. She wanted to destroy everything that she was seeing. How cruel tonight was to have her witness everything that she detested, and without the soothing influence of drugs. With her mind clear, the pain was much more than she could take._

"_It looks like her," Alex said, taking a drag of her own cigarette. She couldn't take her eyes off the two figures moving in the cozy room. Her mind played a nasty trick on her, luring her to believe that she could have that chance to be in the room with Piper. That chance was right now. That chance was to kill Larry._

_Fahri turned to Alex, his fists trembling. "How is this possible? Alex, I want the truth."_

_From the strain in his voice, Alex could tell that he was being dead serious. He wasn't going to let it slip. Not when she had betrayed his trust. Not when she had lied to the faction. Kubra would have them both killed, if he found out. Instinctively, Alex knew that she had left Fahri no choice. She had always known how this would end, and she was wrong that she had thought that she could handle it._

_Alex watched as Piper laughed into Larry's kiss as if to numb her own pain with pain. She watched as Piper caressed his face. She watched as Piper wrestled with Larry on the couch for a bag of chips. The TV was on, but they weren't paying attention as they were busy kissing, chips falling out of the bag. "Yeah, it looks like her," Alex whispered. A tear welled up her eye, and she didn't understand why. It had been four years apart. It should have been forgotten. She should have felt nothing by now. But all she felt now was pain—a pain so deep and devastating that she couldn't look away._

"_The truth," Fahri demanded._

_Alex pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed. The ache grew on the left side of her head, shooting down her neck. It exploded. It hammered her head and crushed her teeth. She was screaming inside, but no sound could escape her throat._

"_Alex!"_

_Alex finally made a move. She backed away from Fahri, trying to push his hands away from her collar. "I—I don't know—" She couldn't do it. She had failed. She couldn't carry on the plan._

"_Fuck, Alex! Of course, you knew!"_

"_No! No, I don't, I swear!" Alex pushed him away, but he was relentless._

"_I can't believe that you did this to me! Do you have any idea what Kubra would do if this got out!? I trusted you!" Fahri threw Alex down to the floor._

"_I'm sorry!" Alex had made no move to get up. Eyes shut, she curled into a ball, hands frantically hovering over her head. She felt defeated. It was a fight that she couldn't win no matter what. Knowing exactly how this would end, she didn't want to fight any longer. She wanted it to end now. For a moment, it felt as though that there wasn't anything—anyone worth living for._

_Green eyes suddenly snapped open. Alex cried out in pain when Fahri bit down on her forearm. The dark of his eyes spread to the white, and Alex realized that he was releasing venom into her bloodstream. She panicked, and pushed him away. _

_Fahri hissed, her blood dripping down his fangs. He dove at her again and bit down on her neck._

_Alex grunted at the pain. She kicked at him again and again, but her strength was weakening fast. Her cries were then muffled by bolts of lightning that struck right down at them._

_Silence. Everything, including the body over her, had become still._

_Her skin sizzled. Her eyes and throat were burning. Her ears were ringing, and her bones ached. Alex groaned and opened her eyes again, trying hard to break from the deadly trap. Her face reddened as she tried to take more air into her lungs. She pushed Fahri's body off her with extreme difficulty. Her agility was stalling, her mind blurry. She needed to get help. She needed to get off this roof as soon as possible before the poison could fully paralyze her._

_The next few moments passed so slowly, while the pain grew aggressively. Alex finally found herself at the entrance of the building, stumbling through the door and landing unceremoniously along the sidewalk. She lied on her stomach, her heart almost stopping now. A few passersby had stopped to look at her, shouting something she could no longer hear. She mustered one last strength to glance up to that window, where all her miseries began. She was lying there, dying, watching how she had been forgotten. _

* * *

Falcon had just been in practice again today, but Alex didn't hold back. She blasted endless bolts of lightning at it, fast and relentless, that many residents had to take some distance away from the heat. Alex had no idea how long she had taken up the training session, but she was already sweating and panting by the time Bennett yelled for her to stop.

Alex took a step back from the red line on the floor, exhausted to the bones. She stared ahead at nothing in particular, waiting for the white spots to vanish from her vision. The thought of her last encounter with Fahri still flashed through her mind. The thoughts of Piper leaving her had never really left her. It still haunted her even if Piper was now with her. Piper had seemed to love her. Piper had several times professed her love to her, but it just didn't seem to take. There had always been the gnawing feelings at the back of her mind, telling her that Piper could walk away from her at any given moment, or if they weren't stuck in Litchfield, Piper would choose a better option than her. Alex knew that things had changed for the better ever since they met in Litchfield again, but the damages were done, and she didn't know how to fix it.

"91 out of 100. You're very precise today. Remarkable! Excellent score, Vause. But, now, you can chill out, or Falcon might break again. Nobody really wants to hear another hour of lecture from Red." Bennett shook his head as he jotted some notes down on the scoresheet.

"You can break it. I'll pay," Jessica interrupted, approaching Alex from behind.

Alex wiped the sweat off her forehead with the edge of her sleeve. She turned to the blonde, who had stopped next to her, slender arms folded across her ample chest. "Hey," Alex greeted.

Jessica's eyes glittered, and the smirk on her face turned into a sensual smile. She licked her lips when Alex ran her hand through her raven mane, exhaling in exhaustion. "It's been a while since you got out of the infirmary. Good exercise. You were great."

Alex smiled. "I needed it." She began to walk, and Jessica followed.

For a moment, they just walked past the crowd, letting the chatters and noises to fill in the silence between them.

"I heard about that fight you had with Piper," Alex remarked casually.

"Oh. _That_."

Alex glanced at the blonde. "Come on, Jess. You have a boyfriend. We're just casual flings who get to fuck every ten years or something. Don't involve Piper. It's not worth all the troubles."

Jessica halted. Her stare on Alex continued, ignoring even when a passerby bumped at her shoulder. It was something someone like Jessica Wedge never let it pass. "I know that I was horrible to you when we were kids. There were things that I regretted even to this day, but… but you've always been more than just a… a fling to me. Certainly, not now."

Alex raised a brow in mild confusion. "Jess, I—"

"No, you're right. It's not worth it. I have a boyfriend to go back to, and you would embarrass me in front of my friends. Or my parents. Besides, I've got an earful from my dad over the expensive bills for Falcon. You're trouble. Definitely, not worth it." Jessica hissed almost at herself.

Alex lightly smiled. She realized that it was the first time she smiled today. Not after seeing Piper and Stella in the hallway, or how she recalled Fahri's last moment. The mad jealousy and deep regrets. None of it was pleasant. All of it was hidden behind the veil of angry, terrifying lightning. She didn't know how long she could hold it together.

"You look tense. Want a drink? Got a few bottles of Scotch up in my room."

Alex looked at her.

Jessica shrugged. "Totally innocent."

Chuckling, Alex pushed her glasses up her nose. "Maybe."

* * *

_Oh, no, Alex, you didn't. What the fuck was that? Did she just walk off with that bitch!?_

Her hair sweaty, Piper had just come out of the private gym. She was allowed back into trainings, but in a private unit again. Gazing across the swarming Gym 1, she watched Alex and Jessica leaving together, clutching the white towel around her neck with both hands.

Alex had been giving Piper a cold shoulder all afternoon since her encounter with Stella today. She inwardly cursed. It wasn't her fault that Stella had approached her, and she thought that Alex was being childish for getting jealous and running off with Jessica again. They had just started to have some quiet time together after crazy episodes of life-threatening situations, and it frustrated Piper that they had let something so petty to come between them. She just wished that Alex would trust her more.

* * *

"I don't get it. What's her problem? I've been trying so hard, Cal. I think that I'm burning myself out. I feel like I'm a hamster on the wheel here. It's exhausting!" Piper was in the phone booth of the North Mansion, rubbing her face with her free hand. It had been a while since she had last called her brother. It was good to talk to him again.

"Calm down, sis."

Piper could hear him chewing. "What are you eating?"

"Clam pie. Franny's."

Piper closed her eyes. "Oh, God, I miss it. Mm-mmm." For a brief moment, she entertained the idea of flying out there right now and join her brother.

"Well, it sounds like you two are having trust problem," Cal said with a mouthful.

"Trust?" Piper frowned. "She's the love of my life. I'd do anything for her."

"Does she know that?"

Piper paused. Her gaze slowly drifted out the window and landed somewhere in the vast yard bathed in the golden sunlight of dusk. "She should know that by now. I fought for her. I broke up with Larry for her. But, for some reason, she doesn't seem to understand. It's like there's always a wall between us. We love each other so much, but the wall is still there. I just… I don't get it. What do I have to do, Cal? I'm running out of ideas. Help me out."

"Communication is key. I think it's clear on your side, but not hers. You dumped her before, didn't you? That might have stuck with her hard."

"No, wait—she was using me. I was the victim. Yes, I broke up with her, but it was her fault. She knew that."

"Sometimes people can't see their own faults."

Piper narrowed her eyes. "Are you talking about me or her?"

"Both." Cal chuckled.

Piper grew a little impatience. "I told her that I love her plenty of time. I don't know how else to do this."

"People can tell when it's being honest."

"Excuse me? I love her. And she'd probably cry, if only she knew what I'd do for her."

"Does she know what it is?"

Piper paused again, phone stiff in her hand. "What do you mean?"

"You've been repeating that 'if only she knew' for half an hour now. If you have something in mind, you gotta tell her. Vause seems like she's been around the block. She seems like the shark that smells blood _and_ bullshit. Be honest. It might get you both somewhere. Out of this fishbowl." Cal chewed some more, and Piper wanted to hang up.

Piper gulped. "I can't."

"See? You've been lying to her. How could she not sense it, while even I could tell from talking to you on the phone? Trust, Piper. Every relationship needs it."

"She can trust me. I'd do anything for her."

"You have to make her believe it, and that requires honesty."

Piper shut her eyes. This was becoming incredibly hard. What should she tell Alex? She had foolishly hoped that everything would turn out all right—that she would save the day, Alex unknowingly waiting for her in her dingy room in the South like a helpless princess waiting for a knight in shining armor. "I'm not cut for it, Cal. Honesty isn't one of my strong suits."

Cal laughed. "Everybody has to start somewhere. You can do it, sis."

* * *

It was almost eleven in the evening. Alex had been waiting, and each minute was agonizing. She had been waiting to hear the familiar footsteps approaching her door. She had been waiting to receive the bright smile from Piper, greeting her as if they hadn't seen each other in months. She had been drowning the Scotch, emptying the bottle. Jessica had a plentiful supply, indeed.

At the knocks, Alex turned to stare at the door. Her heart was in her throat. Piper usually came by earlier. Where had the blonde been? The thought of Stella approaching Piper today, and kissing her the other day, had never left her mind.

"Yeah, come in."

The door was pushed open, revealing Piper in her lavender-colored pajamas. Her hair was slightly damped. Her blue eyes were deep, but clear. Alex loved watching them. For a moment, she was so happy that Piper had come to her tonight, just like any other night. She didn't know why she seemed to overthink it, but she just did.

Piper closed the door behind her, a small smile on her face. She glanced at the empty bottle of Scotch on the desk.

Alex was quick to pick it up. "Jess gave me the rest of the bottle. I'm not drunk," she lied. It was the leftover of their third bottle tonight.

Piper nodded, her hands hooked behind her back. She came to sit down on the bed next to Alex's chair. "But was she drunk?"

"Not enough to start a fight, if you're in the mood." Alex winked.

Piper made a face. "We don't need alcohol to start a fight."

"I'm flattered."

Piper gave out a pouty sigh. "We didn't fight over you!"

"I know." Alex chuckled, but Piper was silent for a second.

"She loves you," Piper said.

Alex studied the blonde, who was hugging her pillow. "But I love you," she said. It gave her many emotions when Piper instantly looked up at her. As if her words or actions meant anything to Piper, she would be there, ready to dive in.

"I…" Piper began.

Alex had heard it, but she wanted to hear more. Everyday.

"I've got something to tell you."

Alex forced out a smile. She hated it when her instinct was right. Piper was up to something, and Alex wasn't sure if she would like it.

"You have to believe that I'm doing it for you. It's all for you," Piper said.

"Do tell."

It took Piper a moment before she could speak again. "That steel man you fought with is my older brother. His name is Danny." Piper was fast, and her tone was cold. It made her sound like a reporter.

Alex wasn't sure what to think. It was totally unexpected. "You mean the guy who tried to kill me?" It worried her that somehow Piper had known this all along, but had failed to mention it until now.

"I went searching for you that night, and that was how we got to meet and talk. I was told that he was dead when I was really young, but he was actually abandoned by my parents for possessing supernatural powers," Piper explained, her hands hooked on her lap.

"Are you sure that he was telling the truth? Your parents didn't abandon you. Have you told them about Danny?"

Piper stopped for a second, and shook her head. "No. I thought that they might not like it. They might not want to hear about him." Then she sighed. "What should I do?"

"Your brother works for Kubra, and he's after me. And he knows that you're with me. Yeah, I think that I know the drill." Alex grimaced. "Has he tried to approach you again?"

Piper opened her mouth but no words came out. There was a long silence, and Alex hated it. She knew that she wasn't going to like it.

"_Piper_."

"Yes, we met again," Piper said, taking in a deep breath, "... that day I went to find your mother for you."

Alex froze. Her mind went blank, and for a moment, she felt like the air was knocked out of her lungs. Her body failed to function. Her blood shot to the head. She couldn't think. She couldn't move. "But I just talked to her this morning. Wait, I also talked to her on the same day you went. You—I mean, she picked up the call. She answered my call! How did that—none of this makes sense. How—"

"They already had Diane when I got there," Piper confessed. "The house was wrecked. Danny had been waiting for you to show up, but it turned out to be me instead. It was your dad. He somehow knew where she was hiding, and sold her out."

Alex shut her eyes for a second, trying to reorder every information in her head. _Lee Burley. Lee fucking Burley._ She would surely strike a thousand lightning bolts upon him, if they met again. There would be no mercy. None.

Alex took a deep breath in, her hands trembling. "What happened? How did my mother answer my calls every day after that? This doesn't make any sense." Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. The split headache was threatening to explode her head into pieces. Fears flooded her chest, and she wanted to vomit. Knowing how the faction tortured their captives, she didn't want to imagine what her mother had gone through.

"They asked me to work for Kubra in exchange to keep Diane alive." Piper bit her bottom lip, her gaze cast down on the floor.

Silence hung heavily over them. Alex shakily stood up from the desk, her head reeling in anger and frustrations. It was all her fault again.

The blonde shot to her feet, trying to touch Alex, but Alex pushed her hands away. "I did it to protect you! I knew that you'd leave Litchfield the moment you found out!"

"You're damn right, I would!" Alex turned away, but Piper harshly gripped her arm and pulled her around.

"You can't leave! They won't let you come back, and Kubra will kill you! I can't let that happen!"

Alex drew her arm away from Piper's grip, and pushed the blonde. Piper fell back onto the bed, but quickly tried to get up. Alex bent over her and slapped her face, forcing her back down. "You're a fucking liar! All this time, you knew that my mom is suffering, that she's being tortured. You fucked me, and yet you pretended like nothing was happening! How could you do this to me? How, Piper!?"

Lying on the bed, Piper had her left hand on her reddened cheek. She whimpered, tears in her eyes.

Alex paced around in the tiny space of her bedroom. Her right hand was numb from slapping Piper so hard, she had to clench it to prevent herself from harming the blonde again. She had done something that she never thought she could. But she just did, and it didn't feel like it was enough even. Alex breathed, her whole body trembling in rage. "I should have trusted my instinct from the start. You can't be trusted. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid," she mumbled, cursing to herself.

Piper shook her head in disbelief and sat up. "Fuck you, Alex. I've loved you all these years. From the moment we first met. I have loved you even when I was engaged to Larry. I know I did wrong by lying to you, but it was because I love you—"

"I wish that you've been fucking that fucking Carlin instead of fucking lying to me about this," Alex hissed. Piper froze at her words, but she ignored it. She walked to the door and swung it open. "Get the fuck out of my room," she said. And when Piper failed to respond, she yelled, "Now!"

Tears streamed down Piper's face as she rose to her feet, wounded, but with small dignity left. She walked out past Alex, careful not to touch her.

As soon as Piper walked out, Alex slammed the door shut.

Alex breathed hard as she bent, hands on her knees. She tried to think, but her mind was numbed by the pain of Piper's lie. Her mother had been captured for more than a month by now, ever since she was put in a coma after the fight at Queens Comfort. She didn't want to imagine what tortures her mother had gone through. She didn't want to know now, especially how furious Kubra must be after his two headquarters had just been raided.

_It's all my fault. I fucked up. Fucked up!_

Alex kicked the door again and again before slouching down on the floor. Out of breath, she rested her forehead on her folded arms. She clenched her right fist. She still felt the sting on her palm where she had hit Piper.

_Oh, God, Pipes._

Regret filled her heart. Alex lifted her head up, staring at her hand, and it disgusted her. The two most important people in her life were suffering, and here she was, sitting on the floor, helpless in her tiny, old room. She used to be strong. She used to have grand plans, but now she was just lost and exhausted. Kubra had always succeeded, always ahead of her. He was winning, and her loved ones were hurting.

Alex took in a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down and finding some solutions to all of this. The wedding was tomorrow morning, but she couldn't let Nicky know. Knowing her friend, Nicky would certainly follow her out of Litchfield, and Alex couldn't have that. She wouldn't let even one more person to suffer because of her.

The ferry would leave the island at ten o'clock in the morning. It was time to face her fate. It was her only chance to save the ones she loved. This had to end.

Alex closed her eyes, but a tear still managed to escape and slid down her face.

_I'm so sorry, mom._

* * *

Piper hadn't left. She had flinched when Alex had slammed the door behind her. She was hurt and scared, but she didn't want to leave. She couldn't. She knew that Alex would leave the island the first chance she got, and it would be their forever farewell. Alex would be gone and, very likely, be killed, trying to save Diane. It was how Kubra had meant it. It was how it was supposed to be no matter how hard Piper had tried to divert its course.

Then Piper heard a quiet sob. She instantly pressed her ear to the door. It was Alex, and it tore Piper's heart. She knew how much Alex loved her mother, and how she had only Diane to depend on. She regretted lying to Alex, but she wouldn't take it back. No, she wouldn't. She would do it again, if it meant that she could keep Alex from all harms.

Piper rested her face against the door, listening to the soft sobbing. She closed her eyes, and momentarily held her breath as it pained her just to breathe.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

* * *

Red peered up from her glasses to the newlyweds. "You may now kiss the bride."

Everyone cheered loudly when Nicky took Lorna by her wrist and twirled her around in full circle before giving her the kiss.

Piper was standing next to Alex, although maintained some small distance between them. The last thing they wanted was to spoil Nicky and Lorna's special day. Piper put up all her skills in faking, but barely managed a full smile on her face. Alex, however, had a formal, yet consistent smile. Piper was beginning to wonder who would be the better liar between them. Alex had not once looked her way today, but Piper had daringly watched her every movement. Unless Alex would ask Nicky to get her out of the island, the woman had no other way of transportation except Piper and the ferry. Piper knew that she was certainly not one of the options.

_Ferry leaves at ten_. Piper reminded herself. It was a quarter past nine. She expected Alex to leave soon. God, she would sink the ferry, if she had to.

Piper glanced at Alex again, but the woman offered no response at all. Not any kind of acknowledgement of her presence. It was supposed to be a happy day for everyone here, but apparently not for them. Alex didn't even take a drink, rigid and tensed all morning.

Piper inwardly sighed. She had expected worse from Alex, and she should just be contented right now that Alex at least still stood near her. She tried to look away, and her gaze came to stop at Stella. The tattooed woman was moving out of the garden bar, disappearing behind the crowd. She was surprised by her presence, wondering if Nicky had invited her. She didn't remember Stella visiting Nicky even once during her coma.

What bothered Piper even more was Mendez attending the wedding. She didn't think that she could ever trust the lizard man, even though his conscience was being controlled by Red. Piper's gaze scanned along the tables of guests. She had been on the island for only about three months, and she didn't know a lot of them. Just how many former and current associates of Kubra were in Litchfield right now? Red was extremely confident of her own powers that she had allowed dangerous criminals to reside among them.

Nicky and Lorna began the first dance. The brides whistled and waved at Alex and Piper, inviting them to join. Alex just smiled, timidly shaking her head. It was surely an act, and Piper was just in awe to see how good of a liar Alex could be.

_Nice try, Al. _

Piper grabbed Alex's wrist and pulled her into the dance floor. Alex's jaw clamped shut as her feet reluctantly followed Piper's lead. Slow music played in the background, and several more couples joined.

Alex stared down her nose, but said nothing. Her gaze was as cold as ice as she lightly put her hands on Piper's waist. Her touch was distant. But she still had that smile on her face—the fake smile that Piper now wished to slap it off her face.

Piper took in a deep breath and looked down, letting their feet fall into the steps of the dance. She didn't want to look into the green eyes as emptiness swelled in her heart. She couldn't look into the eyes she loved as the years of struggles to find another love to replace Alex came rushing back to her. She didn't want to think about what she had done during those times in attempts to forget Alex. They weren't pleasant memories. They were desperate and bitter. They were painful to think back. When they met in Litchfield again, she thought that fate had brought them back together, but then she went right ahead and fucked it all up. They had come so far only to be stuck at the intersection again, unsure where they would head next. It felt almost as if the world was crushing down on them, and she couldn't do anything to stop it even with all her superpowers.

Music continued to play, and Piper involuntarily shuddered at the faint touch on her cheek. Alex ran a thumb on her skin, tracing where she had hurt Piper in the outburst of rage last night. A breath was caught in Piper's throat before she could collect herself and look up at her dance partner. Alex was staring at her hurt cheek. The bruise was covered by makeup, but it seemed as though the green gaze could see through everything.

Piper's hand shot up and grabbed Alex's, holding the touch on her face. She needed it. She wouldn't be able to go on another day, thinking if Alex would never touch her again. "I know that you're leaving," she said.

Silence. Alex just stared at her. She didn't accept or deny.

"I won't stop you anymore. I'll go wherever you'll go. I don't care where it'd be. Just let me be with you. That's all I've ever wanted." She didn't know how to make Alex believe her, but it didn't seem to matter anymore. She just had to tell Alex exactly how she felt.

Alex bit her bottom lip, and eventually sighed. "I've let other people suffer in my place for far too long now, Pipes. It's my turn."

"No, Alex—"

"Listen—"

"_No!_"

A few guests nearby glanced over at them, but Alex ignored them. Alex cupped Piper's cheeks with both hands, their faces less than an inch apart. "Listen, Pipes, I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me anymore. I can't live like this anymore. You have to understand—"

"This is out of the question. No, I won't let you—"

"I don't want to see you get hurt. It'll kill me if that happens. I've caused enough damage, Pipes. I… I've destroyed lives. I've manipulated and killed innocent people. It's my turn. You have to let me go." Alex's face fell in guilt. "I'm sorry for everything, but I really do love you." Alex said all of it with a solemn, yet genuine smile, and Piper couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. Alex planted a kiss on her lips before retracting her hands.

Piper closed her eyes, gulping down her tears. She knew what she had to do. She knew that Alex was right. But she couldn't bear to watch. She couldn't leave, but she couldn't stay either. When darkness threatened to consume her, she opened her eyes again to find herself alone in middle of the crowd. Alex was gone.

* * *

With a backpack slung over her shoulder, Alex biked down the path towards the pier. There were about a dozen residents waiting by the benches for the 10 o'clock departure. It was almost time.

Alex squinted at the bright sunlight as she returned the bike to the mini station. It was a lovely, sunny day, but her mind was clouded with plans that seemed to lead only to dead ends. Even though Kubra's faction had recently suffered severe losses, Alex alone was likely to get past ten other superheroes at most. She knew it full well that it was next to impossible to rescue her mother, and there was only one solution. She would trade her life with her mother's. Even so, she knew that it was unlikely that he would spare Diane, but there was no other way. To know that her father was the one who sold them out only burned a hate deep into her heart. She would never forgive this man, and she would kill him if she ever got the chance to see him again.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Alex snapped. She turned to her right and saw Howard walking up to her. He was in his gray sweater and a pair of khaki pants. He looked calm and composed as usual.

Howard stopped just a few feet away from her, his face grim. "Is she still alive?"

"What are you talking about?" Alex looked away.

He stared at her for a long moment. "You wouldn't leave unless it's an absolute emergency. It must be about Diane."

Alex scoffed. Of course, he had been watching her every move. "Even if it's about her, it has nothing to do with you. Now, fuck off." She began to walk past him, her fists clenched.

"You know that Kubra will kill both of you. He never spared his enemies. There's no use, fighting alone, Alex. You need help, and we can help you."

Alex spun around to snarl at him. "Help me how? Do you think the government would care about an ordinary captive? A mother of a criminal like me? Are you willing to risk your own people to help me fight him? I don't think so. You didn't help me back then. You have no reason to do it now. Stop wasting my time."

"Since when have I ever denied you? Diane asked me to take care of you, and I've always intended to honor her request."

Alex laughed. She wanted to punch the innocent look off his face. "Eight years ago, I got into trouble with Kubra, because I failed to recruit a girl. I asked Red for help, but there wasn't any. You all turned your back on me. You left me to die. But I survived Kubra, Howard. I did it once. I will survive him again."

There was a moment of silence before Howard said, "Red told me that you had cut off all contacts, and we assumed that we'd lost you to the faction." He let out a heavy sigh. "I'm truly, deeply sorry, Alex. I had no idea how much you had to suffer. Let me fix this. I want to help."

Alex chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Alex, trust me. We'll figure something out. I will talk to the officials for reinforcement. We were already in the work, and they agreed that now is a good time to strike again when the iron is hot. His faction is suffering badly, and we'll send in more troops to finish the rest. You have to be patient—"

"How long will that take? I can't waste a day longer. She's suffering, Howard. She's being tortured!" Alex was in Howard's face now, blood shooting to her head.

But Alex winced when he grabbed her arms, moving her back a step. He was a small man, but his hands weighed like lead. Everyone knew of the monster that was hidden underneath this façade of a small businessman.

"I'm afraid that I can't let you go. Diane once asked me to watch over you, and I had failed you before. I had let you join them. Now, that you're back, safe on the island, I can't let you leave. Your mother wouldn't allow me to."

Alex grunted as he increased the pressure on her arms, driving her down to her knees. It hurt like hell, and she expected him to break her arms this instance, if he had to. "Don't try me," Alex growled, blue currents beginning to crawl along her arms.

Alarmed, Howard tightened his grips on her. His hands and forearms instantly grew bigger, the skin turning coarse and brownish, thick like tree bark. The true skin of a giant.

"Mr. Bloom...! Mr.—"

Alex let out a gasp of pain when Howard finally let go off her. Agitated, he turned to the source of interruption. A lanky, red-headed boy in his late teen was running towards them.

"Mr. Bloom!"

"What is it?" Howard asked. His fists unclenched, his skin turning back to the normal shade.

Alex got up to her feet, rubbing her arms.

The boy came to a stop in front of Howard, panting. "The… the wedding, sir… They're attacked…"

Alex froze.

_Piper._

* * *

The chatters grew so loud, numbing Piper's ears. Her throat was dry, and no matter how many glasses of champagne she had had, it failed to soothe her. Perhaps it was her own heart that was on fire.

Swayed on her feet, Piper washed down another drink. She needed more. She needed to forget what had just happened. She needed to not think of going after Alex. She needed to forget that they probably would never see each other again. Only three months ago, none of these thoughts would have bothered her. Just three months ago, everything about 'Alex Vause' was a lie to Piper. It amazed Piper that their love had turned out to be true only to hurt her even more now than it did before.

_I could fly to her now. She shouldn't be too far... Five more minutes, and I might change my mind… I could fly to her now. I think I should—_

Piper's train of thoughts ceased at the loud thud and the yells that followed. Squinting, she turned to see a young man falling flat on his face, a glass of champagne slipped off his grasp. It looked like she wasn't the only one enjoying their drinks a little too much.

A few guys were helping the unconscious man up, dragging him off to the corner. Piper burped as she moved past them towards the bar for her next drink. Then her legs gave in, and she dropped to one knee before she could reach the bar. However, a hand grabbed her arm and promptly pulled her up to a standing position again.

"Thank you—" Piper stood up and turned to smile at her helper. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Christopher? What are you doing here?"

"Lorna invited me. Come on. We wanted a truce." Christopher laughed, sipping his champagne. His face was as red as hers, his eyes watery. It seemed that everyone was enjoying this morning so far. "What about you? You're here alone? Where's your girlfriend?"

Piper's mouth gaped open, momentarily stunned by the question, even though she knew that she shouldn't be. "She left. She's got an errand to tend to." Her gaze drifted off into the distance. She listened to how formal her words were, how distant it sounded, when it actually involved Alex's life and death. She should have done something, but she hadn't. She pondered how useless she was.

"On Nichols' wedding day?"

Piper noted her empty glass. "I'll need some refreshment."

After a moment, Christopher's mouth popped into an 'Oh'.

Piper tried her best to put up a smile as she carefully walked past him. The champagne glass couldn't feel emptier. Her head was spinning faster. Her vision became blurry, and series of unrecognizable sounds began to envelope her. Then her knees buckled. Her eyes rolled into the back of her skull, and she let her body free fall.

"Piper!" Christopher's shout echoed in her ears.

Eyes heavily closed, Piper could feel her back bend slightly in his arm, bouncing up and down in jagged rhythm as he shook her. It felt like a dream that was soon forwarded into series of nightmares. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She could barely breathe as the world was sucked out from under her.

"Jesus, are you all right…? Piper!?"

With much efforts, blue eyes finally fluttered open. Piper coughed violently for air. She had no idea how long she had been out. She had no idea what was going on around her. There was fire on the small stage, where the hired musicians had been playing. The burning Pom-poms and tablecloths. The stumbling, drunken guests. The unconscious guests lying on the ground, and the screaming guests around them.

_What the hell… is going on? _Piper absentmindedly wondered. It was as if she had wakened up to another party altogether.

Piper shut her eyes again at another blast of fire. The inferno heat scorched the skin of her arm and shoulder, and she screamed at the burn.

"Come on, we have to leave now! Come with me!" Christopher grabbed Piper's arms and pulled her up.

Piper staggered, coughing. There was so much smoke. The whole area was curtained with thick layers of gray. Where did the fire start? Why?

_Lorna?_

Draped around Christopher's side, Piper looked over her shoulder, trying to find the brides. There they were, struggling through the fire themselves. Lorna's dress was burnt around the edges, tars on her pretty face. Lorna's dark eyes looked determined, unlike Nicky, who looked absolutely dazed by what was happening. Nicky could barely make a stable step forward without Lorna's lead.

Then, Nicky's short cry managed to break all the chaos around them. A scaly, thick, pointy tail had penetrated through her back and exited her chest. Her wide eyes rolled to the back as her body was lifted by the foreign intrusion. Blood poured out of her chest wound, while Lorna screamed on, reaching for her wife. The giant lizard retracted his tail, dropping Nicky as he flew up into the sky, tearing down the burning tents.

Piper couldn't feel her legs anymore as Christopher tried to drag her as far away as he could. "Nick… Nicky," she croaked. Her throat was burning.

"She's gone!" Christopher grunted.

"But—" Piper couldn't speak anymore as her lips were numbed. Her body failed to function. She looked back at the burning backyard. She could only watch as Red was still sitting on the chair, unconscious amidst the angry blaze, her head resting on the table. Then, Stella approached the woman from behind. The thief raised the knife in her hand and stabbed down on Red's arms and thighs as if the old woman was a ragged doll, further cementing Red's weak state even if she happened to regain consciousness.

_The champagne… That fucking Carlin… _

Christopher failed to make it beyond fifty feet away from the tents. His body finally gave in to the drugs. He lied down next to Piper, gasping for air. Even his death air failed to emanate.

Piper could still hear Lorna's screams, and the sounds tore a hole through her heart.

_You have to get up. Get up, Piper. Get up. Move!_

Piper took in a shaky breath as she struggled to push herself up. Her head was heavy and her vision was swimming. Little by little, she was on her knees again, but was quickly shove back down to the ground. She winced and glanced up to see Stella looming over her, a foot planted on Piper's shoulder. Piper noted the big fume of smoke spiraling up to the sky in the background. It felt like doomsday right now.

"All right, pretty, you're coming with me," Stella said, winking.

Piper growled, her fists weakly clenched. She wanted to yell at Stella, but her lips could barely move. "Fuck… you—" Her voice suddenly trailed off as a lightning bolt flashed right above them. Piper had to squeeze her eyes shut from the bright light. She could feel the ground tremor as the lightning struck near them, the heat catching her skin, sizzling. But the pain wasn't too bad as Stella was above her, partially shielding her from the impact.

Out of breath, Piper opened her eyes again. Stella was gone, disappearing fast into the ground for cover. Instead, she saw the lightning striker rushing towards her. Alex scooped her up in her arms, shaking her. Alex called her name again and again, but Alex's voice sounded as though she was speaking underwater.

With difficulty, Piper lifted her hand up and touched the pale face. Alex frowned, worries clouding her gaze. Piper wanted to tell her that she was all right, but her lips would not listen.

Alex pulled Piper into a tight embrace, and Piper felt relief wash through her. Even with the pain on her body, Piper had never felt safer anywhere than in these arms.

_You're here._

Another blast of fire hit the tent, and Alex looked up, searching. There was confusion in the green eyes, followed by horror. Piper's gaze followed and met with the sight of Lorna crying, holding Nicky's body in her arms. Piper could feel Alex trembling, transfixed by the horror.

* * *

Alex watched the scene unfold before her eyes, horrified by the burning tents and the injured guests crawling around. Many were unconscious, but without anyone helping them out of danger zone. Tables and chairs were knocked down, burning. What had happened in just half an hour after she left? Alex tried to identify the attackers amidst the fire and the screaming guests. Then, she saw the brides.

_Nicky._

Alex couldn't form a single word, or processed a coherent thought. She didn't want to acknowledge what had actually happened. Dazed, she walked up to Lorna. The heat was scorching her skin, but she couldn't walk away.

Nicky was lying motionless as if she was just sleeping, and the blood on her wedding gown was just a crimson paint. She looked peaceful in her slumber. Painless. It was the only consolation Alex could think of. Tears welled up the green eyes as she knelt down next to Lorna, and wrapped her arms around the tiny woman.

"It was the lizard man! He hurt Nicky! He drugged Red, and hurt Nicky. My Nicky!" Lorna howled hysterically.

Alex feverishly rubbed Lorna's arms, trying to calm the bride. She then held Nicky up in her quivering embrace. Her heart broke into pieces, and she didn't know if she could ever mend it. If only she had stayed a little longer. 'If' came with a big price.

Many thoughts rushed through Alex's troubled mind. Mendez couldn't have done it all by himself as he was supposed to be under Red's command. It must have been Stella who drugged the guests. Yet, it seemed too easy for only Stella and Mendez to cause this much chaos. There had to be more accomplices.

"We have to get out of here, Lorna," Alex eventually said, looking around. With Nicky in her arms, she led the way out of the burning backyard, heading out towards where Piper was.

_THUD!_

A tremendous impact hit the ground, throwing Alex off her feet. She and Nicky unceremoniously rolled along the grass, Lorna after them. Lying flat on her stomach, Alex squinted up and saw the giant wrestling with the lizard. The ground shook as they moved about, dust fuming everywhere.

In his mutant form, Howard was seventeen-foot tall with thick, broad shoulders, muscular body. His eyes were blood crimson, and his skin was as thick and coarse like tree bark. He could jump as high as thirty feet for a few hours at a time. He was a giant that ran fast and hit hard, a natural-born destroyer.

Howard grabbed Mendez's by the tail, dragging him down before he could fly off again. The lizard turned to hiss at his captor, clawing at Howard's left cheek, narrowly missed his left eye. Howard swung his right fist at the lizard, but pulled back just in time before the impact. Mendez was using the unconscious Red in his grasp as a shield. If Howard wasn't careful, he could have broken Red's neck in the powerful fight.

"Vause!" Lorna shouted.

At the warning, Alex turned around. The steel man emerged from the heavy curtain of smoke, walking towards Piper. At once, she blasted a blue bolt at him, sending him rolling on the ground. It bought her some time before he got up again, racing against Alex towards their target. His steel body was immune to her lightning strikes. It was a lesson learned from their encounter at Queens Comfort.

Alex reached Piper first, holding her up with both arms and swiftly moving away. Series of lightning bolts blasted down between Danny and them, keeping him at bay. The last bolt gathered for a few moments, flashing and thundering high above before striking him deep into the ground. The string of strikes seemed to finally take a toll on Danny. His movements slowed down a great deal, and he failed to crawl up from the trench. Eventually, his body transformed back into his human form.

Alex's chance was now. She had to strike when he was in his most vulnerable state. She let Piper down on her feet, one arm wrapping around the slim waist to keep the blonde standing. Blue currents gathered and enveloped her right hand. Danny would not get away this time, and she could see it in his defeated, bloodshot eyes.

"No, Alex—he... he's my brother," Piper whispered, her arms loosely hanging around Alex's neck.

Alex immediately stalled at the plea. She clenched her right fist, the blue light intensifying as her anger over Nicky's death simmered. She was deeply hurt, and she wanted to hurt someone. She wanted to let it out. She wanted to kill.

"Please…"

At the whisper, Alex allowed herself to breathe. After a moment, the electric currents disappeared from her hand. Her rage was dying down, but her pain lingered. Piper seemed to have seen through her, and tightened her weak hold around her, whimpering against her neck. She could feel Piper's warm tears sliding down her skin, and tightened her arms around the blonde.

Alex sighed. "I'm sorry—"

"Vause, look out!" Lorna warned, holding her bride in her arms.

Alex felt the heat erupting behind her. Lorna must have struck fire at the target, but it wasn't what concerned Alex. It was the pain tearing through the flesh and muscles of her left shoulder. She cried out and let go off Piper.

Her knees weak, Piper was on all fours. "Al…" she wheezed.

Alex looked over her shoulder and saw the attacker. She remembered him to be one of the South residents with the infamously long, sharp claws that grew out of his fingertips. They never talked, but his claws had surely left a mark on her. She pressed her right hand over her shoulder wound, retreating a few steps. The clawed mutant was being burn alive by Lorna's strike, but he quickly became the least of Alex's problem.

Alex turned around to see Lorna falling unconscious next to Nicky. There was blood on her face that wasn't there before. "Lorna? Lorna!"

However, before Alex could locate Lorna's attacker, she felt a heavy punch at the left side of her head, the force driving her down to the ground. She grunted in pain as she tried to get up. But the cold, steel fist smacked right down at the same head wound again and again. Her vision blackened, Alex was seeing stars right now.

"Danny, stop! Danny! STOP!" At Piper's yell, the beating suddenly ceased.

Danny was sent flying into the sky and fell back down to earth. _Hard_. He was splayed on his back, remaining absolutely still. His steel body turned back into its human form.

Dirt and blood on her face, Alex was slumped on the ground, blood in her swollen, left eye. She tried to conjure her powers, but weak blue lights licked along her fists for a few moments before dying down. Her head was splitting, and she began to tremble at the nasty pain.

"Alex." Piper dazedly crawled towards the taller woman. Her movements were slow at first, but she seemed to break the spell and took more control of her own body. She reached for Alex and helped pulling her up. "Al, are you all right…? Alex…? Alex, please, talk to me."

Alex spat out some blood, trying to wipe blood from her eyes. At Piper's pulls, she felt like throwing up. "Ah," Alex cried at the sharp stinging on her head wounds.

"Oh, my God, Alex." Piper tore out her left sleeve and used the clean side to press down on the bleeding wounds. "We need to get out of here. I'll get you out of here."

Alex tried to remain on her sitting position. The pain throbbing on her head and shoulder threatened to make her cry. Leaning against Piper, she could only watch as Mendez flew low, snatching Danny with his right hand, while the bleeding, still unconscious Red in his left hook. The lizard flapped his gigantic wings and ascended again at breakneck speed, narrowly escaping Howard's reach at his highest leap.

The giant landed on his feet, panting, watching as the lizard flew away, disappearing behind the thick cloud of smoke. Kubra might not have Piper today, but he got Red. Once again, he won the cruel game, and left his losers to lick their wounds.

Green eyes watched as Howard gave up on chasing the lizard and turned his attention back to the wedding crowd. Some were trying to put out the fire. Some were helping the unconscious and the wounded out of danger zone. Away from the backyard, the two brides were lying next to each other. Their eyes closed, they seemed peaceful even in their bloody and tarred, white gowns.

Her eyes half-closed, Alex glanced down at her own bloody, trembling hands. She tiredly rested against Piper before letting her mind slip into oblivion. The sounds of yelling and crying from the wedding guests became distant each passing moment, and then everything became muted.

Numbed.

Gone.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"I'm Lorna Morello. Nicky Nichols and I had been friends since we were sixteen. She was the first North resident to ever talk to me. We first met in the backyard of the Zone, where we held our wedding ceremony. I was her wife for an hour, but it was the… the happiest hour of my entire life…"

The sky was gray, and the wind was mild. Lorna still had the deep cut on her forehead. The widow continued her eulogy, and Piper momentarily closed her eyes as if she could shut out the pain that way.

Dozens of people attended Nicky's funeral, which was held at Litchfield cemetery, located along the southern shore of the island. Nicky's mother actually flew in right after she received the news. Ironically, Red, who had always been Nicky's maternal figure, was absent. It had been 3 days since the incident, and no one knew of Red's fate.

Piper glanced at Alex, who was on the wheelchair next to her. Alex was wearing a white hospital gown beneath the black coat, a gray scarf around her neck. Her left eye was still swollen, a bandage wrapped around her head. Her left arm was supported by a blue arm sling. She suffered a concussion, and Piper had been watching over her day and night. Against Ms. Claudette's advice, Alex had insisted to attend Nicky's funeral. She was allowed to leave the infirmary only on a wheelchair.

Piper reached out and held Alex's hand that was resting on the armrest. It took a moment before the pale hand squeezed back in reassurance. Piper had seen Alex in an injured state before, but this time the woman looked exhausted, wounded deep from the inside. The loss of her best friend had hit her hard.

When the casket was lowered into the grave, Alex tried to get up from the wheelchair, but failed. Piper gently took the flower from Alex's hand, and tossed it in for her.

"Thanks." It was all Alex had said to Piper, or anyone, for the remainder of the day. They both took the same van back to the resident area, listening to Lorna's quiet sob all through the ride. No one had said another word.

* * *

"Hi… Good evening… Hello… yeah, I live here…" Piper greeted the visitors and patients along the busy hallways of the infirmary. She walked up to the second floor, passing many beds and chairs. The wounded were mostly Lorna's wedding guests. Ms. Claudette had arranged for Alex to get the bed next to the window in the far left wing of the room, so that she could have more privacy than the others.

"Hey, baby, how are you feeling?" Piper put up a smile as she sat down along the edge of Alex's bed. It was already half past eight. The visiting hours normally ended at eight, but the rules were relaxed, given the high number of recently injured residents.

An open book on her lap, Alex was staring out the window, watching the bright moon in the dark sky. Alex had skipped her lunch, falling asleep for hours as soon as she got back from the funeral. Piper had gotten a pair of sandwiches from the North canteen, hoping that Alex would at least find her appetite now.

Piper frowned when Alex didn't respond. "Alex?"

Alex slightly flinched at the call of her name. She turned to Piper, but suddenly squeezed her eyes shut as she raised her right hand to her temple.

Piper quickly pressed in, cupping Alex's face, holding her head still. "Has the headache worsened? Alex… please, talk to me. Alex, are you all right?"

It took a moment before Alex opened her eyes again. She took in a deep breath and said, "Not well. It's... not worse, but meds aren't helping."

"I'll tell Ms. Claudette-"

"No, I… I'll feel better in a bit. Don't worry." Alex managed a weak smile. Her lips were dry, her face sickly paled.

Piper watched as Alex leaned her head back, closing her eyes again in dullness. Alex's chest heaved slowly as she shifted in discomfort. Piper put a hand on Alex's cheek, and then felt the woman's hot breath with the back of her hand. "Your fever is back," Piper said.

"It hasn't gone."

"But you were better yesterday," Piper countered. "You can't skip meals, Al. You need them. Now, eat the sandwiches."

Alex turned her face towards the window. "Not hungry."

"What are you, twelve? Now, eat," Piper groaned.

A smile crept up Alex's face, but, all of a sudden, she bent over, her right hand clutching her head.

Piper rose to her feet. "Alex!" She gripped Alex's shoulders, urging her to lie down. She kept calling Alex's name, but the woman failed to respond. Alex's eyes remained closed, her skin turning even paler. She could feel Alex quivering under her grips.

"Please, help!" Piper frantically turned to look around. Her gaze met with a quiet infirmary and many pairs of curious eyes. Everyone was staring at them.

"Ms. Claudette! Help! Ms. Claudette!" Piper kept shouting as she pressed on the emergency button. No one responded to her desperation until Daya came rushing through the doors.

* * *

"V-A-U-S-E. Alex Vause, please."

"And you are?"

"Chapman. Piper Chapman."

The nurse eyed her for a second. "Password."

Her mind still groggy, Piper tried to recall the secret code that she came up with Howard before leaving the island. It was for Alex's safety. "Sydney."

The nurse nodded. "Room 405B."

"Thank you," Piper muttered as she tried to stifle her yawn. She had just wakened up in the hallway in front of the ER, and had found that Alex had been transferred to a private room. Piper assumed that Alex was out of immediate danger. She had come to the reception desk to ask for Alex's whereabouts.

Piper moved along the quiet corridor, looking left and right for the designated room.

_405B… Oh, there it is. _

Piper entered quietly. One of the twin lamps on the nightstands was still on, lending the dark room some soft light. Alex was sleeping on the bed, wires attached to her body. She had been urgently transferred out of Litchfield to a private hospital in the city. Howard had made sure that they spared no expenses on Alex, including the secrecy of her stay at the hospital. He also had allowed Piper indefinite stay to keep an eye on Alex, as well as assigning a few other residents to take turn and guard Alex around the vicinity. He wouldn't underestimate Kubra when the man finally had Red's powers in his grasp.

Piper walked up to the side of the bed, studying the resting Alex. It was déjà vu all over again. It felt like that day four years ago when she had confronted Alex, who had been hospitalized after a car crash, with the death of the fake 'Piper Chapman'. She had felt betrayed. She had felt foolish. It had felt like the world was crushing down, and there was nothing Piper could do to stop it. The only thing she could do was to walk away, hoping for a better tomorrow.

But it was a different story now. They were still hurt and broken, but, regardless of the outcome, she had decided to be with Alex until the end. Her body exhausted, her mind spent, she climbed up the bed and lied down beside Alex. The space was tight, but she liked how close they were. She wrapped one arm across Alex's stomach, her eyes fluttering close once more. She listened to their soft breathings, their sighs. It was a dream. Their longest, soundless and colorless dream.

* * *

Piper slipped in and out of slumber again and again in a vicious, disrupted cycle. She breathed heavily. In her dreams, she tried to talk, but no voice seemed to come out of her throat. She tried to wake up, but her body stiffened against her will. When she finally woke, her body was sore from the pulling of her muscles. She felt like she had been running many miles, gasping for air.

Piper rubbed her eyes as she sat up. The head of the bed had been elevated. To Piper's surprise, Alex had been awake, watching her in her sleep. For a moment, Piper thought that she was still dreaming. It looked like a good dream, so she wasn't about to complain.

"Morning, sleepy head." Alex's voice was strained, but her gaze was clearer. There was some color on her cheeks even. Alex seemed to recover faster than Piper had expected. They were superheroes after all.

Piper reached out and cupped Alex's face with both hands. "Oh, thank God, Al. Thank God. Please, don't do that again."

Alex had a tired smirk. "I scared you, didn't I?"

"You, asshole," Piper muttered as she planted kisses all over Alex's face, careful to avoid her wounds. She pulled back when she heard Alex's chuckle. She rested a hand over Alex's chest, feeling the breathing rhythm. "You can't do that to me, you know that."

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed out the windows, admiring the night view of Manhattan. She had been unconscious for almost two days. "I can't control everything, Pipes."

Piper bit her bottom lip at Alex's admittance. She looked at the cuts and bruises on her lover's face. They were horrible, physical damages, which hadn't even included the emotional toll Alex had been enduring from the loss of Nicky and Diane's uncertain fate. It wasn't hard to understand why Alex seemed so utterly defeated.

Piper reached out and gave Alex's hand a light squeeze. Alex turned to face her, her gaze softened.

"I'll look for a time traveler. They might be able to help," Piper faked a hiss.

"You watch too many movies." Alex let out a chortle. And it had been some times since Piper had last witnessed a genuine smile from her.

"I do? Says you. Really? Your whole career was built on recruiting superheroes."

"I've never come across one. In fact, no one I knew had ever met one. Sometimes, fiction is just fiction. Writers need to add an extra ounce of excitement to their literary pieces. Time travelers don't exist."

"Three months ago, if someone had told me that my ex could generate a bolt of lightning out of thin air, I would have laughed, too. Life is strange sometimes. I'm not giving up, Alex. I'm going to find them, and ask them to turn back the time. I'm going to ask them nicely, of course." Piper winked as she caressed Alex's cheek, feeling the coolness of her skin.

Alex leaned her head back, sighing with a tired smile. "I've played God for long enough. Maybe this is the punishment that I deserve… that I am to lose everyone I love. Everything."

Piper held Alex's face firmly, staring into the green pools. "You won't lose me. You won't be able to get rid of me."

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I should find the time traveler, just in case."

"Asshole." Piper laughed softly. "Seriously, they were never on your recruitment list?"

"If they truly exist, I'm sure that Kubra would have put them on top of the list."

"So it's just a myth?" Piper rolled her eyes.

"It'd be next to impossible to catch them alive, because they'd just turn back the time the moment you get them. They'd change their courses, and we would lose them again and again…" Alex's voice began to trail off. "… again… and again."

Piper remained silent, trying to read Alex's forlorn gaze.

"But they don't exist. You can't undo the past. No one can." Alex gazed out the window into the darkness once again. "They targeted Nicky first, because then there'd be nobody to help the guests escape. Not Red. Not you."

Piper stalled. She felt a stab in her heart. "Alex—"

"I'd known her since I was thirteen. We were best friends even when I was a complete asshole. I joined Kubra's faction, but she forgave me. I've done a lot of bad things—terrible things, but she still forgave me. Every time I got lost, I came back to her, and she'd always welcome me home… Now that home is gone."

For a long moment, Piper's fingers lingered along Alex's chin. She could only listen, but there were no words strong enough to console them. There were no mythical time travelers to turn back the time to take all their agony away. There was nothing else to do but to face it all, and hoped to fall into a dreamless, painless slumber. "It's ok, Al. It's all right to cry."

Green gaze suddenly hardened. Alex stared at her, unmoving. There wasn't any hint of kindness in those eyes. It was as if Alex was watching, judging a total stranger for knowing too much.

Piper contemplated if she should retract her hand, but the lone tear fallen on the back of her hand stopped her. Alex tried to turn away, and Piper tightened her touch on the woman's face. She wouldn't let go, and she wanted Alex to know—to trust her. She opened her arms as Alex leaned in, resting her head against her shoulder. She then wrapped her arms around Alex's trembling body, rubbing Alex's back to soothe her. She kissed her head several times, whispering many words to comfort her.

"Everything's going to be ok. We're going to be ok." Piper pulled Alex in even closer, if that was possible. It was a comfort she needed herself.

* * *

"Be careful," Piper warned. "And put your right arm around my waist. Don't let go."

They were already at the pier, back safely at Litchfield. It was already dark by the time Alex was released from the hospital. Piper chose nighttime to fly to avoid being easily spotted.

Alex climbed over the bike and wrapped both arms around her girlfriend. Her hair was messy from the flight from the hospital, but she hadn't bothered to tidy it. Her glasses were foggy from her own warm breaths. She was wearing a black coat, a scarf around her neck.

"I said 'right arm'. Your left shoulder is still hurt," Piper said.

Alex puffed and retracted her left hand. "Fine."

Piper turned back to the road, a small smile on her face. Alex's silent grumble always made her smile. Alex was shivering behind her, resting her chin on her shoulder. It felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, but she somehow gladly welcomed it.

It was freezing up high in the sky, and Alex had complained about it. The fierce wind tonight wasn't helping either. Piper could feel Alex shivering, so she opted for the bike once they reached the island. Piper stared ahead at the road ahead of them. The full moon was the only source of light at this hour. Her knuckles were numbed from gripping the handles, but she wasn't worried. Far from it.

Piper recalled the first day she had arrived Litchfield. The fogged sky. The endless, serpentine road led her into the unspoken world. There was fear, but there was also hope. She had hoped that everything would turn out for the better—that each day spending on the island would bring her closer to her reality. But time only revealed how surreal it all was. She had lost her old life; her fiancé and their circle of friends. If there was a bridge connecting both worlds together, it was perhaps lost in the heavy mist. The road instead had led her to the new, but strange group of superheroes—the outcasts, just like her. The road ahead had somehow led her back to Alex. It was a never ending path with them. It was meant to be.

"Can we go now? I'm freezing," Alex muttered sleepily, her right hand clinging to Piper's coat.

Piper straightened up and began to bike down the road. Alex was admitted into the hospital for five days, and even though the doctor had assured them that Alex's condition was now stable, Piper could see how tired her girlfriend was. Alex was slower than usual, and had lost several pounds during her brief hospitalization.

Down the dark, windy road, Piper began to hum, befriending the starry sky. She could hear her own voice echoing softly. She could hear Alex's sigh next to her ear. They were together, and nothing else mattered to her now.

* * *

The heavy poundings in her head eventually pulled Red out of her exhausting nightmares. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious. The dreams she had were an epic mixture of her own fears and the endless memories of the people she had stolen from the past. It felt like a truck was running over her a thousand times over. The pain intensified each time, never numbing, sending her mind deeper into the chaos that she had once created. Her powers had backfired her at last.

Red feebly clenched her fists, trying in vain to feel her own body. She needed her body to fight her aggressive mind, but she was too weak. She gasped for air as she glanced around the dark, square room. A lone source of light was mounted inside the wall, a thick glass sealed its outlet. The concrete was cold and damp. The walls were thick, but she could hear distant screams and shouts from adjacent rooms. She knew right away that she was incarcerated. But by who? What happened?

Red groaned at the back pain that gnawed at the back of her mind. It took her a moment to finally being able to focus on the urgent questions.

_Nicky._

Her heart sank at the first clue to all of the current predicaments she was facing right now. Red recalled how guests began to stumble and fall, drunk or unconscious. She herself had consumed quite a fine amount of champagne that morning, and had quickly fallen deep into a slumbering state. She would have defeated the effects from the drugs, if not for the wounds inflicted on her body by Stella.

Red froze as she eventually realized the consequences of her recklessness. She recalled the fire and smoke, Lorna's screaming in tears, while holding Nicky in her arms. Amidst the chaos, there was Christopher dragging Piper out of harm's way, and the blade that cut deep into Red's own limbs. She was paralyzed by the drugs, and her body wounds only plunged her deeper into the abyss of helplessness. She had never felt so powerless like that faithful morning, where everything had turned wrong, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was her fault. Her arrogance and contempt ended in miscalculations and disasters. She had hurt Litchfield by letting Kubra's gaining her powers. She had damned her loved ones into ruins. She had lost Nicky.

_Oh, Nicky. Nicky! _For the first time in decades, Red felt her tears, fresh and warm, rolling down her face. She almost couldn't believe it herself.

"You feel sad." A man's voice slipped into room, and Red looked up, tears bathing her wrinkled face.

The metal panel was slid open, revealing a pair of dark eyes through the narrow, rectangular window on the door.

_Kubra Balik._

Red's jaw clamped shut. Rage boiled within her. She could only see his eyes, but she knew that he was smiling. It was in his cold gaze. He was ridiculing her with his simple stare.

"Devastated, I'd say," Kubra further remarked. He briefly glanced away. "It's somewhat overwhelming, you see. I've never captured a telepath before. It's an entirely new experience. We used to have to work so hard, and risked so much. We've lost many friends, just like you have. We had to be the muscles, doing the dirty works, when Litchfield chose to play the government's ally. Now, we could be the brains. You're one of the most extraordinary gifts I've ever had, Red. It was so hard to get to you..., but I always win, one way or another. Welcome home. You're right where you belong."

"Fuck you. You're nothing but a leech. You have no powers of your own. Your whole gang are full of leeches that do nothing but live off other people's powers or wealth." Red spat out some blood. It tasted heavy in her mouth.

"The interesting thing is that I could actually hear those words before you even opened your mouth. How did you survive your own powers? How did you keep your sanity? It must be mad." Kubra sounded genuinely excited. His eyes were wide, and his laugh was loud, echoing down the corridor. "You could read through us. Yet, you let us in. You were so sure of your powers that you wouldn't even listen to Howard. Your friends died because of you. How does it feel?"

Pain. That was all Red felt, or what she could ever feel for the rest of her life. It was as if she had gained another supernatural power, and that was to constantly feel pain. It hurt so much that tears weren't enough to express it.

Lying on her back, Red breathed for the thin air in the tiny cell. It was the first time in her entire life that she only listened with her ears. The world was much calmer now, more direct. Everything was so much simpler without her powers, and now she was simply waiting to die.

"No, Red. Nothing is ever simple."

Red glanced up at Kubra again. Now, there weren't just flashes of old memories. There were new memories Kubra was showing her. Police forces had stormed into houses and slaughtered anyone who crossed their paths. There had been chaos. Cries and screams. Blood and curses. Not even women and children had been spared. Kubra had used her powers to make a brutal statement to the public. It had completely destroyed what Litchfield had been trying to achieve all through the decades. It had completely divided the superheroes from the ordinary humans, a cut so devastating that no comfort could ever erase the scars.

* * *

The breaking news continued to display on the huge TV screen mounted on the wall, but the sound was now muted. The disastrous incident was covered by every news channels for the last thirty-six hours. Kubra's mind control over the police forces had successfully started the war he had craved for years. He was no longer just a thug running a fearful syndicate. He was now the commander of outlawed superheroes, armed with an incredibly frightening weapon. Even the president didn't feel safe anymore. Sources had said that he had gone underground with heavy protections. There had always been a good reason why Red had kept her presence on the island for many years. If she wanted to live, she had to abandon herself to the isolated island, where the others wouldn't fear her, or worse, use her.

Sitting at the head of the long table, Howard spun on his chair to meet with several worried gazes across the conference room. There were at least forty people present, Piper and Alex included. Alex was occupying a chair in the far corner, while Piper stood next to her, arms across her chest. Everyone was listening attentively. They could feel the incredible tension through the silence.

Howard took off his glasses and sighed. "I'm not going to lie. There's no use… Litchfield is in a very bad position right now, and things don't seem to be improving anytime soon. The government wants to shut us down, and they want every resident here quarantined," he said.

"What? No, that doesn't make any sense! We're not criminals!"

"They can't do this to us! We're humans, too!"

"Where would they put us? Litchfield is isolated enough! It's Kubra's faction that needs to be put down! They can't just group every gifted ones together! We have to speak to them. This is unthinkable!"

Yells erupted, and people were trying to shout out their opinions. Howard pinched the bridge of his nose before putting on his glasses again.

"We have to fight."

Howard paused. He looked up, and found Piper's blue eyes. The whole room went quiet as everyone turned to follow Howard's gaze.

"There's no other way. We have to fight Kubra," Piper said, reluctantly lowered her arms to her sides.

"That's just crazy! He has Red's powers now! We're going to get ourselves killed!" a woman countered.

Piper shook her head. "The government will shut us down, if we don't fight Kubra. They will treat us as one of the bad guys. We have to take the chance. We have to risk it, if we want to keep Litchfield."

Howard had to look away, resting his chin in his palm, seemingly deep in thoughts. "A lot of people will die," he said.

"We'll die anyway, if we don't fight. Where exactly do you think the government will lock all of us up? I doubt that they'd want to spend tons of money to shelter us and keep us fed. I'm pretty sure that there wouldn't be so much protest right now, if the government would just execute us. We're dangerous in their eyes. We're outlaws to them… unless proven otherwise," Piper said. Her cheeks flushed as she could feel every stares in the room fixing on her.

Alex cleared her throat and said, "The tough part would be breaking the front gates of the headquarters. There used to be roughly 60 men guarding around. But, given the faction's recent losses, the force should be reduced in half. It shouldn't be as bad as before." She glanced at Piper, and smiled lightly. "We might have a chance to break through it."

Piper was struck by a pleasant surprise. She grinned back.

Some residents murmured in disagreement. "You have an agenda, Vause. We heard about your mother. Don't try to trick us into fighting for you," a North resident spoke up, arms across his chest.

"Yeah, let's surrender to the government. Let's save what we have left," another chimed in.

"I have no interest in other people's family business," someone from the other side of the room added.

"Count me in, Vause. I've got a matter to settle," Lorna said, her gaze determined.

"You can't be serious! This sounds very much like a suicide mission! Who wants to go first!?" One of the South residents blurted out. He had every reason to be afraid since it was always the poor who had to take the risks first.

Many others nodded in agreement, and the chatters grew louder in both fear and confusion.

"Maybe Morello will take charge and lead the attack. Please, Captain," another resident snide.

Howard straightened up in his chair, waving his hand. "Lorna, I'm sure you mean well, but this is a very serious matter. It involves life and death—"

"Are you serious, Mr. Bloom? Life and death? I've just lost Nicky." Lorna glowered at him, her lips trembling.

Howard sighed. "Lorna, I—"

"Come on, Mr. Bloom, we need her fire powers," Christopher interrupted. He was standing in the second row next to Jessica. "We're not forcing everyone to fight with us. That's why it'll be great if we could have Lorna there."

Jessica rolled her eyes at her friend. Piper should be glad that she had at least two more residents to join her cause, but she caught the woman's brief glance at Alex. Piper forced herself to look away. She didn't want to overthink things. Certainly, getting jealous was the last thing she needed right now.

When Howard finally gave his consent with the plan, the tension cooled down considerably. The meeting continued with more volunteers, and they began to draft their attack plans. It had to happen before the government would take action, before Litchfield would be shut down, and everyone scattered, powerless. It had to happen soon. A few days. A week at most. It was their final fight to maintain their place in this 'ordinary' world.

* * *

Piper climbed up the slanted roof of the South Mansion, a wine bottle in her hand. She carefully moved along the ceramic-tiled roof towards Alex. Bathed in the moonlight, she lied down next to her girlfriend, looking up at the starry sky. Alex had been unusually quiet since the meeting was over. It was almost midnight now, and Alex hadn't come down to her room. Piper knew that her girlfriend must be exhausted, but there was something else keeping her up.

"That went well," Piper said, and took a swig from the bottle.

Alex smirked. "The suicide mission? Pretty impressive. You've changed, Chapman."

"We're all just trying to survive here. Kubra really left us no choice. Or the fucking government… Right, we're fucked." Piper groaned to herself.

"I gotta say that I'm pleasantly surprised by the change." Alex chuckled.

"They were trying to kill you, Alex. I'll do anything to prevent it from happening again. _Anything_."

Alex watched Piper for a moment. "I thought that we're going to do it for Litchfield."

"That, too. But, you're my priority. You'll never be safe, if Kubra is still alive. He has to go."

Alex raised a brow, pulling the collar of her jacket closer. "I'm touched by your concern."

Piper took another swig of wine. "You did it for me. You've killed for me. I'll do the same for you."

Alex sighed before looking up at the sky. "Once you killed, you could never take it back, Pipes. Never."

"I—I know that." Piper forced out a shrug. "That didn't stop you, did it? You still did it anyway to keep me safe."

"It was very different for me. I didn't have much to go by back then. I did what I had to. I was just—"

"Enough with the bullshit, Alex. I know what I'm doing. We have to fight, because there's no other way. We need to keep Litchfield running. I'm never going to end up in some concentration camp."

"They'd never put you in a camp, princess." Alex laughed.

Piper lightly punched at Alex's arm. "It's not a joke. It could get worse."

Alex rolled over Piper, her weight pinning the blonde down, and Piper slightly yelped. "I know how money talks. It's the easiest language in the world. Everybody understands it."

Piper stared up into the green eyes. "I… I don't… well, maybe…"

Alex smirked. "Well, you don't sound so sure now."

Piper reached up and cupped Alex's face. "You're cold," she said. "How's the headache?"

"Still there…, but better."

"I doubt that you'd admit the truth even if it's worse."

"You're right. You know me." Alex sighed, nuzzling her nose in Piper's warm, soft palm. She breathed Piper in, and the blonde shivered.

Alex's condition had improved considerably, although not perfectly. Piper wouldn't try to stop Alex anymore, because they were at the dead-end now, and the only way was to fight their way out. Although Alex did surprise her that she didn't try to stop Piper at all. It was time like this that she wished to possess psychic powers instead. She wanted to know what Alex was thinking.

Alex stared down into the deepest blue eyes as she kissed Piper's palm. "Promise me that whatever that might happen, you'll take him down. I know you can do it."

Piper frowned in confusion.

"Promise me."

It wasn't a question, but rather a command. Piper closed her eyes when Alex dove down to capture her lips. Her hands slipped up to the back of Alex's head and neck, pulling her down closer, her fingers running through the silky, raven mane. Their kisses deepened, hot and feverish against the harsh and cold of the night. Piper would promise Alex anything.

Anything at all.

* * *

**AN:** one more chapter and epilogue. Thanks y'all for following this story! xoxo


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

* * *

_Izmir, Turkey_. Kubra's last surviving headquarters

The sun had set. The sky bled in crimson as darkness was right around the corner. Blue was disappearing fast, and Piper's heartbeat quickened in anticipation.

The headquarters was a brick, four-story tall building, dome roof, with a row of narrow windows facing east and west. With a large central hall in the middle, it was reported to have three underground levels that offered temporary shelters, storage rooms and confinements. Howard's plan was simple: break in, kill Kubra, and release the prisoners.

Litchfield had gathered about thirty members for the mission. During the past week, they had had some help from the police, carefully evacuating civilians out of the neighborhood, having cops dressed and acted as locals instead. But the risky work remained a big challenge for the superheroes. Howard knew that he couldn't lose this fight, or his people would lose everything.

The sky was now pitch black.

Piper turned to look at Alex. Her girlfriend had recovered well. Her eyes were clear, and her strength had returned. The headache still persisted at times, but it was more than Piper had hoped for. "Are you ready?" Piper asked.

Green gaze shifted to Piper, and a smile broke on Alex's lips. She leaned it and kissed the blonde. The warmth of her breaths momentarily took Piper to another world. Piper pressed in, but Alex pulled back, smirking. "You ain't seen nothing yet."

Piper frowned, but all of a sudden, thunders rumbled, roaring fiercely in the sky. Piper bent lower, arms raised over her head. Thunder bolts struck down at the thick, concrete gates of the building. Even from the distance, Piper could feel the heat on her skin. She pressed her hands against her ears as Alex continued to strike at the barriers. The whole sky was flashed with stark, white light, so dangerously bright that Piper had to shut her eyes. Pebbles began to shower upon the ground. The gates finally cracked and crumbled. After about a dozen hits, Piper lost count of how many strikes Alex had delivered. It was only until half of the left gate fell apart that darkness consumed the sky again, and everything became quiet.

Piper opened her eyes and saw Alex slightly swaying on her feet. "Alex, are you all right?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm. Her heart was already in her throat.

"I… I'm ok. Don't worry." Alex found her steady ground, and offered a tired smile in reassurance.

The ground shook, and Piper turned to look behind her. Howard, in his giant form, came out from behind the adjacent building and ran towards the broken gate. He kicked at the concrete chunks, removing them out of the way. Gunshots began to blast from inside of the headquarters. Howard quickly moved away from the gate's outlet, using the headquarters wall as a shield from the bullets.

Lorna ran up to the large hole of the gate, blasting balls of fire into the building. "Eat this, you piece of shit!"

Screams erupted as the fire burned the fighters nearest to the gates. Gunshots madly intensified, the sounds of shells falling to the ground echoing like a heavy rain.

"Be careful!" Howard grabbed Lorna out of the way before the tiny woman would get shot. He leaned back against the wall, howling at his backup. "Bennett, now!"

Bennett sneaked towards the outlet and tossed a grenade into the building. He then ran to escape the area, but a hand grabbed his collar and threw him down against one of the massive, concrete blocks that had fallen from the gate. The blast went off inside the building, and Bennett squeezed his eyes shut. His ears were ringing from the impact, his head hurt. He opened his eyes again, choking for air. Smoke eventually faded, revealing a smaller man in black attire standing above him. It took Bennett a moment to realize what was going on, or who his attacker was.

Bennett froze. "Humps? What the fuck?" he muttered. Humphrey was an ex-cop in Bennett's unit. They used to hang out after their shifts. He never knew of Humphrey's supernatural powers, but then, Bennett kept it secret from his colleagues as well.

Bennett's thoughts became disoriented, jarring, to say the least. Humphrey had been repeatedly smashing Bennett's face with a brick. It took him a moment before he regained his composure and kicked Humphrey off. He sprung up, and, with his super strength, pinned Humphrey down to the ground. However, his attacker simply vanished. Blood bathed his face, Bennett looked around in panic. There was Humphrey attacking other Litchfield members some distance away, while another Humphrey was grabbing Piper's arms, trying to pull her away from Alex.

Piper turned and sent her attacker at the nearest wall, but he also vanished the moment his body was about to hit the hard surface. Piper looked on in bewilderment. "Alex… Al, did you see that!?"

Alex pulled Piper down behind a concrete block. Bullets whizzed past them. "He's a multiplier. He can be at several places at the same time. We have to catch his original body. That's the only way to get the guy," Alex said, peering over her shoulder. She watched their Litchfield friends climbing through the cracked gate as several more explosions went off.

Piper ducked down as a bullet hit the barrier close to her head. "A multi what!? How many of him are there then!?" she hissed.

Alex squint in the dark. "Seven? Nine? It depends on his strength at that moment."

"What? How am I going to identify the real him?" Piper groaned.

Another explosion hit the ground, and Alex raised her arms over her head. Her back pressed against the wall, she slid lower to the ground. "You don't. You just have to keep trying, and hope you hit the jackpot." At Piper's cold stare, Alex shrugged. "He's gotta be near to generate his bodies. At least, he's around, right?"

Piper shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously, Al—" Out of the blue, a plane of heated energy swiped through the air, radiating in a circular wave, pushing everything out of its way. Piper was thrown from her spot as the wave pushed both the block and Alex in other direction.

_What the fuck was that? Ouch._

Lying on her stomach, Piper eventually looked up, blowing dirt from her mouth. In the dark, she could see the block had rolled several feet away, but there was no sign of Alex. Her chest tightened with worries when she saw no movement around the debris.

"Alex...? Alex!" Piper pushed herself up and began to run towards the concrete chunk, but Humphrey appeared out of nowhere, standing in her way. She skidded to a halt, startled. He had that small smirk on his face, which she had quickly grown to detest.

* * *

_Fuck_.

Alex opened her eyes, dazed. She was sprawled next to the heavy, concrete block that had swept her through the yard. Fortunately, it didn't fall upon her, but guaranteed quite a few nasty bruises and cuts.

"Look who's back. Vause, the traitor. Fucking nerve."

Alex had lost her glasses, but she definitely recalled the voice. It was Sankey, an energy wave emitter. The rugged, blonde-haired woman was one of the recruiters. She joined the faction a year after Alex. They were never close, but not unfriendly. Sankey's blind faith in Kubra had never sat well with Alex.

Sitting up, Alex wiped some blood off her lips with the back of her hand. She wanted to get back to Piper now, and she hated the distractions.

"You destroyed our homes, our people, our spirit! How—" Sankey fidgeted, her lips trembling. "How could you? Fuck, no, you won't get away this time. Not a chance I'd let that happen. I'm gonna kill you with my own hands!" Sankey threw her hands forwards, an energy wave emitted from her fingertips.

Alex blasted a bolt of lightning in retaliation, and their forces clashed. Both Alex and Sankey were thrown off their feet by the destructive impact. But Alex got up faster.

On her knees, Sankey covered her eyes with both hands, momentarily blinded by the white light. "Fuck! Fuck! I'm gonna kill you, Vause! I'm gonna kill you!"

Alex's hands balled up into blue electric currents, readying for another strike, but series of gunshots erupted. She ducked down behind the nearest concrete block. She looked over her shoulder and saw Stella with a MP5K, firing in her direction. _Oh, __shit._

"Come out, Vause! You can't hide from me!" Stella shouted.

_It's on, bitch._ Alex inwardly growled. A bolt of blue light whipped through the air towards the tattooed woman. Stella instantly slipped down into the ground.

Alex grumbled. She looked around, trying to spot where Stella went. The answer soon appeared as gunshots raged behind her. Alex leapt from the spot, barely escaping the shower of bullets. At once, a gigantic bolt of lightning climbed down from the sky, striking down where the shooter was.

"No!" Sankey yelled in horror. She emitted another wave, pushing Stella out of the way of the deadly strike.

The machine gun fell off Stella's grasp as she unceremoniously tumbled along the ground.

At once, Alex turned and struck at Sankey, taking the blonde off-guard. Hot, blue currents entered Sankey's eyes and mouth, her whole body convulsing uncontrollably. Her powers engulfed Sankey's body, driving the woman down to her knees. Sankey was already dead. For certain.

"Sankey!" Stella ran towards them, pulling out a pocket knife.

Alex withdrew her powers from Sankey, letting the blonde fall face first onto the ground. She spun around, grabbing Stella's wrist and pushing the blade away just in time. Their arms locked, and Stella realized the grave mistake. She tried to slip into the ground again, but managed only a waist-deep. Blue currents travelled from Alex's hands down along Stella's arms, locking them together like chains. Stella screamed at the top of her lungs as blue fire scorched her body.

It took only a second. A moment. An intake of breath.

_Open your eyes, Alex... Alex…_

Alex didn't know how long her mind had spaced out. Her own lightning had momentarily blinded her. But when she fully regained her vision again, she saw Stella flopped on the ground, face down, both arms splayed out at unnatural angles. The lower half of the woman's body was still stuck in the earth.

* * *

Piper turned around again and again. It was a vicious dance, the one she couldn't win. Every time she thought that she had a hold on Humphrey, or was about to strike him down with her powers, he vanished. Sometimes, there were three of him. Sometimes, four or five. Her neck and arms were bruised as they tried to drag her away. Her head and body hurt as they tried to hit her into submission. She fought back just as relentlessly. Blindly. Her left eye swollen from a cut, it was becoming harder and harder for her to differentiate the many bodies of Humphrey from the objects around her. She kept sending cars, concrete blocks, and phone booths away. She wasn't even sure if she had hurt anyone in the process. All she could think of at the moment was how to not get caught. She couldn't afford to become a liability. Thunder rumbled, and she knew that Alex was still near. She needed to find Alex.

Her determination was raging, but her knees gave in. Piper slumped down on the ground, out of breath. Her energy was much spent, although not wisely, and she hadn't even entered the gates.

When the dust settled, Humphrey walked up to her, stopping just a few feet away. He, too, was out of breath, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His eyes darkened. His fists clenched. "Let's not kid ourselves. You can't win this," he said, his voice slightly shaken.

Piper tried to breathe as deeply as she could. Grunting, she wiped the blood from her left brow, which was dripping down to her eye. She looked up at him, and was surprised that he even looked sympathetic. He was taking a pity on her. _Fuck, no._ The last thing Piper wanted was sympathy from her enemy. Not when the love of her life was in danger. Not when people were dying around her. Not when she was proven weak—so weak that she couldn't even look at herself.

Humphrey took one step closer to her, extending a hand out. "Now, you have to come with m—"

_Crack._

The sound came so subtly that Piper almost missed it. But she felt it. She felt it in her hands. She felt the air bend at her will. Humphrey slid to his knees before falling flat on his face. His body motionless, his neck and shoulders were at odd positions. His eyes were still open, staring blankly into nothingness.

Piper glanced down at her own hands. She could still feel his warm skin underneath her invisible, desperate grasp. She could still feel his bones breaking in her livid grip. She had found the right Humphrey. How reckless he was to stand before her in his real form. But, perhaps, he was out of powers as well. At any rate, she had killed, and it felt as if by her bare hands.

'_Once you killed, you could never take it back. Never.'_ Alex's words echoed in her mind.

Piper sat down on the ground. Blue eyes were wide, her gaze flickered in the dark. She then buried her face in her palms, her body rocking back and forth. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ Just a moment ago, she could still feel his pulse. He hadn't even turned cold yet, but her heart did. That murderous moment kept playing over and over again. She kept smashing the objects again and again. The nightmare was playing on loop, and she didn't know how to stop it.

"…Pipes. Pipes!"

Piper heard the call of her name. Over and over. But it took her a long moment before any of it could register in her mind. She looked up again, her face in a pair of warm, bleeding palms. Alex was kneeling in front of her, her face stained with blood and dirt. Green eyes were wide, searching and worrying.

Tears brimmed Piper's eyes. She angrily shook her head. "No. No, please, don't look—"

"It's ok." Alex pulled her in an embrace, ignoring Humphrey's body.

Her hands clinging onto Alex's jacket, Piper silently stared at the dead man. Cold sweat in her palms. The air barely in her lungs. The blood in her eyes. It felt so surreal. Nightmarish. "Don't look, Alex. Don't—"

"I'm here. I'm with you now. It's going to be ok, Pipes. It's ok."

Alex tightened her embrace, and only then that Piper began to calm down. She pressed harder into Alex, freely resting her weight against the taller frame. Her face buried at Alex's neck. She could feel the hand gently rubbing the back of her head, the long fingers running through her blonde locks. Explosions continued, and gunshots blasted through the night, but it felt so numbed around her.

"He was… His neck. I—I felt it. I fucking felt it—"

"Shh. It's gonna be ok, Pipes. You did what you had to do. You did the right thing."

Piper shut her eyes for a moment. She kept telling herself that it would be all right. She had to believe it. Everything was going to be all right as long as Alex was with her. Eventually, she pulled back. She frowned at the cuts on Alex's face. "Are you hurt, Alex? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Alex sucked in a breath, turning to look at the broken gate. There were occasional gunshots echoing from inside the building, but their Litchfield friends had already entered. "I'm going in. You don't have to follow, if you don't feel well."

Piper paused. "That's out of the question. I won't let you go in alone."

"I won't be alone. The others have already gone in. You wait here, all right? You could guard the entrance, and don't let anyone leave. It should be safer for you outside."

Piper hooked her fingers on Alex's collar, pulling her in. "I'm not leaving your side."

"Listen, I know the ways inside the headquarters better than any of us here. I'll be fine. You stay here. Watch the gates. Make sure that no one escapes."

"No! No, Alex, you can't make me—"

"Listen. Just… _listen_. Please." Alex cupped Piper's face with both hands, leaning in and kissing her. "I don't want to see you like this." She glanced at Humphrey, and shook her head. "Fuck. This was a bad idea. I was so stupid! Stupid and selfish. I shouldn't have let you come."

Piper clutched Alex's hands. "I want to be in it with you. I can do it. I can do this."

"But I can't." Alex rested her forehead against Piper's, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm so sorry, Pipes. I can't see you like this. Please, listen to me. Stay here. Wait for me. I'll come back for you."

Alex leaned in and kissed Piper's lips, her warmth momentarily calming the blonde down, holding them together. Alex then pulled away and walked up to the building.

Piper opened her eyes again, her fingers touching her lips, where Alex had been. She sat, watching her lover disappear behind the barriers. Her heart was weighted down by fears, her body shaken in the dark, cold night.

* * *

Alex passed the empty hallway of the first underground floor, the temporary shelters. Many residents were gone. Doors were left open. Garbage littered along the corridors. Some light bulbs mounted on the walls were broken, shards of glass on the floor. Considering the fights that were going on upstairs, Alex wasn't surprised that the shelter level had been abandoned. She wasn't complaining as it only made it easier for her. Quietly, she passed down to the storage level, and then the confinement level.

Moans, laughs and cries from the prisoners behind the locked, metal doors echoed through the long, narrow corridor. It was cold and damp down here. Alex shuddered as she walked through, peeking into each cell for a sign of her mother. She didn't want to imagine what her mother had gone through, being locked up in this godforsaken place. All other headquarters were destroyed, and there had been no sign of her mother. Izmir was her last bet, if her mother was, indeed, still alive.

From cell to cell, Alex blasted the locks on the doors open, letting the prisoners out. Soon, yelling and cursing filled the corridor as the prisoners stampeded out of their confinements. "Mom! Mom! It's me, Alex! Mom!" Alex shouted, struggling to walk against the flood of crazed, paranoid prisoners, who were trying to find their way up to the ground floor. "Mom! Where are you!?" Alex kept calling out for her mother. She pushed through until the hallway was empty, all prisoners gone. She kept looking, walking down the claustrophobic corridor. It was getting quiet in here that she could hear a pin drop. Nothing. There was nothing left.

"Mom! It's me! Mom, where are you!?"

"... help…"

Alex snapped. She instantly turned to the direction of the voice. The voice was coarse, calling out, pleading. Alex moved along the corridor until she found the cell in the farthest corner. She blasted the lock and slid the heavy door open. It wasn't the sight she had expected. The frail body on the floor. The messy, matted, sweaty hair. The dirt on the pale face and filthy, khaki jumpsuit. The bleeding arms and legs.

"Red," Alex breathed. The fire had died from the fierce, red-haired woman, leaving only the dull, defeated eyes.

The older woman glanced up from the floor. Her dried lips moved. "Hey, kid."

Alex gulped, momentarily stunned. All through her time in Litchfield, she had never witnessed Red in a miserable state like this. No matter what Red had put her through, she had never wished such humiliation upon this brave, ruthless woman. It was a shame in itself.

"Aren't you gonna come in and help me up?" Red was lying on the floor, her arms and legs laid limply. Her wounds seemed to have been neglected, and Alex could smell the foul odor of blood.

Alex brushed her nose as she entered the cell. She knelt beside Red, slipped her arms around her waist, pulling her up to a standing position, albeit with much difficulty. Red groaned in pain, weakly gripping Alex's arms. "Careful," Alex mumbled. When Red was steady on her feet, Alex put Red's arm over her shoulder, turning them both towards the door. But she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight by the cell's exit.

Diane was standing by the doorway. She looked extremely pale, her dark hair a sticky mess. Her usually vibrant, blue eyes were now jaded, bloodshot. She seemed to have lost many pounds during her incarceration. Her cheeks were so gaunt, her skin blotchy. Alex almost failed to recognize her mother.

Alex flinched when the metal door slid shut behind Diane. "Mom?"

The small window on the door was slid open, and Alex recognized the pair of dark eyes. "It's good to see you again, Vause."

"Kubra." Alex froze. This was the man who could steal her powers by just a glance. He could have killed her right now. At this moment.

Kubra's chuckle was heard echoing down the corridor. "You really are a terrible learner. You didn't learn from Fahri, and even killed your own mentor. You betrayed the hand that fed you. You are a disease."

"I'm here now. Do whatever you want with me, but please let her go. Please." Alex took a deep breath in, trying to calm her nerves down. But little did she succeed. She knew that she was unmatched to him.

"No matter how hard you tried to run, you still ended up here, walking into this cell on your own. Can't you see? You've failed everyone you love. No, I won't let Diane go. I will punish you. Your mother and your lover will pay for it like your friend did."

_Piper_. Alex's heart skipped. Fears flooded her chest.

"I have Chapman, and I will make you watch her die. Everyone you love will die, and I will make sure you will relive the moments in your mind until the day you die."

Alex's head reeled, her face ashen. _When? How?_ She shouldn't have left Piper alone. She shouldn't have brought Piper here. She was selfish and reckless. _It's all my fault!_

Kubra smiled as he commanded, "Diane."

Tears welled up Diane's eyes as she watched her daughter. Then, carefully, she pulled out a knife from underneath her stained, khaki jumpsuit.

"I'm giving you a choice. Save yourself, or your mother. Goodbye, Vause. Because, after this, you will be forever lost, regardless of the outcome."

As soon as the last word slipped through Kubra's lips, Alex was chained to the spot by some dark spell. It was as though she had no control over her body at all. She could only watch as Diane walked up towards her, her hand that was grabbing the knife trembling. The bloodshot blue eyes stared at her, but she couldn't recognize the gaze. The kindness and confidence she usually saw in her mother's eyes were now replaced by fear and horror. Then the blue eyes turned darker and darker. It wasn't her mother, she realized. It was the same dark eyes that stared into her soul with rage, the feelings of hurt and betrayal.

_Fahri._ Alex felt cold sweat trickle down her back. She wanted to run, but her body disobeyed. Her mentor was furious. He had just found out that she had lied to him about Piper. He was going to tell Kubra. He was going to kill her to appease his master, that much she was certain. He would go after Piper next. He would recruit Piper and force her to do unpleasant, unforgivable things. Alex couldn't stand the idea. It terrified her. It would pain her, killing her alive.

Fahri must be stopped.

* * *

"What are you doing!? That's your mother, Vause!" Red burst out the moment the electric currents began to envelope Alex's fists.

Icy blue sheen had glossed over Alex's green eyes. Red knew what was happening. Alex was no longer in this cell. She was lost in the mind trap, manipulated by Kubra's powers. While Diane was unable to control her own body, she knew exactly what was going on.

Red watched as tears streamed down Diane's face. The poor woman unwillingly took the steps forward.

Panic rushed through Red. "Vause! Vause, wake up! Wake the hell up!"

"Alex." Diane's call came out as a pained plea. She lunged at her daughter, the knife raised high in the air.

"I... I have to… stop you." Muttering, Alex raised one hand, blue light intensifying.

"Vause! Don't!" Red pushed Alex away and leapt at Diane. She bit her bottom lip at the pain shooting through her body, willing herself to ignore it. She grabbed Diane's wrist and turned it around, plunging the tip of the blade into Diane's neck. It took only a split second—a blink of an eye.

Red panted hard, eyes wide. She slid down to the cold floor on top of Diane. Warm blood oozed out of the fatal wound, spilling onto her hands. Blue eyes stared up at her, shocked. Diane's lips moved, but no voice came out.

"Mom?"

Red shut her eyes for a moment before pushing herself away from Diane. She sat back down and looked up at Alex.

The icy blue had now disappeared from Alex's eyes. Tears welled up fast in the green pools. Alex walked up to her mother and knelt down beside her. She pressed a hand over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but blood just kept pouring out. "No… No, this can't be… No. No. No, this isn't real. This… No. No, it's a fucking trick. He's fucking with my head. He's fucking with my mind. This is not real—"

Red took a deep breath in. "Vause—"

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! You killed my mother!" Alex clenched her free hand, electric currents conjured up into a raging, blue fireball.

Red pressed her back against the wall, her chin up. "He tricked you into thinking she was your enemy! And he was going to make her kill you with that knife! He messed with both of you! Think, Vause! He has my powers! He wanted to turn us against each other!"

"You killed her! You killed her!" Alex roared, her face reddened.

"I had to do it in your place, because I know that if you struck her dead, you wouldn't be able to live with yourself! And your mother wouldn't be able to forgive herself, if she had killed you! Use your head, Vause. His joy is to watch us kill each other! He is a sick man! Now, you have to be strong. You have to fight him like you fought me before. You're here now. I know you can do it!"

"You—you killed... No… no, I killed her…" Tears slid down Alex's face. Blue light gradually vanished from her hand as she reached out and touched Diane's forehead. There was a long moment before she could speak another word. She bent lower, closer to her mother, her tears falling onto Diane's face. "I'm so sorry. I brought this on us. I failed you. I... Don't leave. Don't leave me, please," she pleaded.

Her head resting against the crook of Alex's arm, Diane glanced up at her daughter. The fears in her eyes were gone now. She weakly clutched Alex's hand that was on her throat. Her fingers traced along the back of her daughter's hand. She offered her only child a faint smile. No words needed to be said.

"I love you, too." Alex kissed her mother's forehead. When she pulled back, her mother's eyes had already closed. Diane looked peaceful as though she was just sleeping, safe in Alex's embrace. But the truth just tore at her heart. No one had ever been safe around her. She had lost almost everyone she had ever loved and cared for.

"Vause, we have to go," Red said. She had moved to stand next to Alex, softly putting one hand over Alex's shoulder.

But Alex found no comfort. She pulled her mother into a tight embrace, rocking on the floor. Tears just wouldn't stop falling.

Red tried to suppress her sigh. She had thought that she was looking her most vulnerable state, but it was nothing compared to how heartbroken Alex was at the moment. She had never expected to see Alex so broken like this. Tears threatened to fall when she thought of what she had done to Alex in the past. Perhaps, she could have done more to help her. Perhaps, if she had been kinder, they wouldn't have ended up here.

Alex and Red snapped when the window on the door was slid open. A man, presumably one of the men, who had been guarding Kubra's source of powers, was staring into the cell. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Diane, and then he started to yell something at his friends.

_Boom! _

The door to the cell was blown open by the bolt of lightning, thrusting the man and crushing him against the wall, killing him instantly.

Alex rested her mother down and stalked out of the cell, electric currents licking along her fists and arms. Red was behind her, but was careful to keep some distance. Two more men ran down the corridor, and started firing at the captives. Alex discharged a screeching, deadly strike at them, literally frying them on the spot. Red had to stop and bent, momentarily shutting her eyes from the light, covering both ears with her hands.

Red opened her eyes again to see two, motionless bodies on the floor. Their eyes were still open. Their deaths had taken them by surprise. Red took a deep breath in and glanced up at Alex. Icy blue had glossed over Alex's eyes. Without another word, the lightning striker turned and walked up the stairs. The electric currents still ran along her arms, ready to strike at anyone—anything. From that moment, Red knew that Alex had abandoned all hope to leave this place. Kubra was right. Alex was forever lost in her own rage and grief.

* * *

**A/N:** I couldn't fit all in one chapter, so one more, I promise. Thanks for following this xoxo


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

* * *

Behind the wall of the abandoned building opposite to the headquarters, Piper sat, peeking out through the murky window. She blew breaths to warm her hands. The sound of gunshots and explosions had ceased for nearly half an hour now. On the outside, the night was cold and quiet. It was as though nothing had happened. But she knew that it was anything but 'calm'. All her friends had gone into the building, and not one of them had returned. Not Alex.

_But she promised to come back. She will._

Piper felt useless. Gifted with great powers, she had chosen to stay behind, fear-stricken. She wished that she had been stronger. She wished that she hadn't cowered by just one incidence, but this was something no trainings could have prepared her for. The killing. The life she took. And she would collect more deaths had she followed Alex into the dark. She didn't follow. She didn't want to.

At the last thought, Piper bit her bottom lip, staring down at the floor. This wasn't the first time that she had abandoned Alex. She left Alex four years ago for a better life, a _normal_ life that her family and society expected of her. They were never meant to meet again, like they had died from each other. She had done it before, and she did it again. Tonight, she left Alex to go in and die alone.

A breath caught in her throat, Piper's heart sank as the truth dawned upon her. Alex understood her. Sometimes, the woman knew her better than Piper herself. Alex had asked her not to follow, because she wanted to keep Piper safe. Because Alex didn't want Piper to be there—to see it when it all ended. It had been their farewell, but Piper didn't realize it.

Piper shot up to her feet, coughing as bile rose to her throat. She covered her mouth with both hands, her face heating up, her back sweating. Even if she went in right now, it might have been too late already.

_No. _Piper spun on her heels and ran out of the building.

Piper crossed the street and hiked over the debris in front of the headquarters. Carefully, she climbed over the broken gate and entered. The lights on the ceiling were flashing, lending the sense of urgency. More debris obstructed the hallway. Dust filling the air, Piper was cautious with her steps. She spotted lifeless bodies along the way. Some were her Litchfield friends. Some were Kubra's men. She stopped and picked up a machine gun from one of the dead men. She checked for ammunition, got herself ready, and continued down the corridor. It was going to be a long night, she could tell.

Once Piper reached the end of the hallway, she turned and found the path leading to the central hall. She glanced up at the dome roof, moonlight shooting down through the rows of windows above. Gunshots and panicky shouts echoed through the hall. She carefully hid behind a mounted pile of debris, her finger ready on the trigger. Her eyes scanned the large space, trying to spot her friends.

_Boom!_

Piper pulled back, yelping at the curtain of fire hissing past in front of her. It came out of nowhere. She took a few seconds to compose herself, and peeked from behind the barrier.

Lorna was firing inferno at everything around her. There was rage in her dark, vacant gaze. Piper watched her friend burn people alive, stunned.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Bennett cried as he fell and rolled along the floor, his upper body ablaze.

Both hands covering her mouth, Piper's eyes widened at the horror. Lorna must be under some kind of a twisted, mind control. Piper took off her jacket and ran towards Bennett, trying to put out the fire. Another shot of fire whizzed past Piper, and she had to roll away to avoid it. "Lorna, stop! It's me! Lorna!" Another fiery ball was shot at her, and Piper crawled backwards, terrorized. "Stop!" At her command, the ball of fire miraculously froze in midair. Piper squinted at the fireball in front of her face, feeling its angry heat on her skin.

Lorna looked equally stunned, but it was short-lived. The fire conjurer produced a bigger fireball and shot it at Piper.

_Fuck!_ Piper instantly dropped to the floor, hands over her head. She burst the fireball into tiny pieces before it could hit her, the flames dying down as they fell like fireworks. Lorna, however, was sent crashing against the nearest, tall and thick column. Piper swore that she heard a loud crack. She tensed up at the sight of Lorna falling to the floor, the woman's body laid motionless. She counted the seconds for Lorna to get up and deliver another strike at her, but it didn't happen.

"Jesus! What happened!?" Jessica hurried towards Bennett and cast her ice on him, putting out the fire.

"She... she was attacking us..." Piper tried to explain, or, at least, tried to convince herself. She carefully crawled towards Lorna, flipping the woman's body onto her back. It appeared that Lorna had hit her head hard against the column, bleeding heavily on her forehead. She was knocked out cold.

"It was Kubra, wasn't it?" Jessica sounded darkly worried. Piper wasn't sure what was going through the Jessica's mind.

"She's bleeding. We need to get help," Piper said.

"Are you kidding? There's no backup, Chapman. Is she still alive? If not, then don't bother." Jessica cast more ice onto Bennett's nasty wounds.

"We have to help her!"

"By hitting her harder. Put her out of misery. With your powers."

Piper glared at the ice princess, her fists clenched.

"We could start by getting them out of here," Jessica said, smirking as she pointed up at the showers of pebbles falling from the ceiling. "We better hurry."

Piper flinched as she heard the giant's roars from the outside. Howard was trying to break the building with his heavy fists. At this rate, the whole headquarters was going to fall apart by dawn.

"Where's Vause?" Jessica asked as she began to drag Bennett along the floor.

Piper paused before picking Lorna up. "She came in before I did."

"You let her come in alone?"

Jessica sounded desperately worried, and Piper hated it. "She told me to wait outside."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me, Chapman. You let her walk into a mind trap, knowing that they have her mother as a hostage?"

Piper froze. The guilt and worry weighted down on her. She didn't even know if Alex was still alive. She was a coward, camping outside, sitting on the battle, waiting for it to be over.

"You get them both outside. I'll go find Vause," Jessica said.

"I'll do it," Piper countered.

The two blondes turned to face each other, their gazes indifferent.

"I know the ways around here more than you do. I've studied all of Kubra's headquarters for years. What do you know?" Jessica said, smirking.

Piper admitted that Jessica did have a good point, but she wasn't going for a fair play tonight. "_I_ will find her."

Jessica growled at Piper before she said, "Three underground levels. Temporary residence, storage, confinement. There are two staircases, northward and eastward. I wouldn't suggest the elevators at this point. Despite their superpowers, these men are also heavily armed. You do what you have to do to get her back. Safe."

Piper inwardly grunted. She didn't need Jessica to tell her what to do. She turned and ran down the hallway. She could hear gunshots in the background. She could hear Jessica shouting after her.

"Find her!"

* * *

Every second passed by like walking through the thick, endless fog. Her body was aching each step she took. Red staggered behind Alex, her vision blurred. Amusingly, the only light she could see now was the blue light from the hands of lightning striker, the person she used to hate—the girl she once left in the dark. Her feet took more wobbly steps, her dignity ruined, her heart hurt. Following Alex along the tunnel, dead bodies fell like withered flowers. Alex spared no one. Red, herself, had spared no soul even her own.

One of the lightning strikes punched a hole through the wall. Red wasn't sure if Alex still knew what she was doing, but she had no energy to stop or try to reign Alex in. Red halted by the wall outlet. The full moon in the sky above caught her eyes, luring her away.

"… bright... so bright," Red whispered to herself. A gust of chilly, fresh air hit her face, blowing back her unkempt hair. She slowly climbed over the wreckage, and crawled out of the building. Completely drained, mind and body, she took a few tottering steps forwards before falling to her knees. Eyes closed, she spread both arms, her face bathed in the moonlight.

Free. She was free again.

* * *

Through the windows of the small, control room, Kubra watched the fight unfold down in the central hall. His men succeeded in defending their headquarters, while Litchfield members were turned against each other by his mind manipulation. It was a daring and stupid, move from Howard. The giant had ruthlessly risked his people's lives to reach his goal. The tragedy was that no one saw through how similar Howard and Kubra were. They wanted to same thing, only for their own tribe.

"It's gone."

Danny turned to Kubra. The steel man had been guarding the door. He frowned in confusion. "Master?"

"My source of powers is gone." Kubra gritted his teeth. _That traitor__._ He had underestimated the situation, and Alex had somehow survived and freed Red. _That traitor!_

Danny walked up to his master, his face grim. "I will get Reznikov back, sir."

"Don't. Stay away from her now, or you'll fall prey to her powers. I have a better idea."

* * *

Residence level.

Piper climbed down the stairs. Many were rushing through, gunshots and screams echoing through the whole floor. There must be dozens of rooms on this floor alone. Lights were off, and the only source of light now was the sparks from firing machine guns.

Piper bent low as she sneaked from door to door, moving through with difficulty. She had to use her powers to clear the people of the way, and it took her great concentration to catch those bullets flying around, trying to divert their directions.

Suddenly, Piper fell to her knees, clinging to the door. The air in her lungs suddenly weighted like lead. She opened her mouth, gasping for breaths, both hands on her chest. Before she would panic, she recalled having experienced this before.

_Christopher._

It was his death air. He was close. Piper took a sharp breath in, wheezing. "Chris... topher. Chris—"

"Piper?"

Leaning against the door, Piper turned her head to see her friend crawling across the corridor and entering the room she was in. Bullets were whizzing past him.

Out of breath, Christopher sank low beside Piper. "Fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you're close. Those guys wouldn't leave me alone, and I ran out of ammos!"

"It... it's ok." Piper inwardly grumbled. Her heartbeat became regular again. The air in her lungs felt much lighter now as Christopher ceased his death air.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on ground level with Howard?" he asked.

Piper grimaced. The original plan was Alex and her teaming as Howard's backup, but it failed as soon as Sankey and Humphrey interfered. "Well, plan A didn't work out, so here's an impromptu plan B." The ceiling shook in a rhythmic pace, pebbles showering down. It was the giant's punches. "Should he be doing this since we're still down here? He could have buried us alive."

"I guess he's pissed at something. Should we get out of here? Or do we need a certain number of kills before we can stop? And where is Healy? He was supposed to lead us!" Christopher wondered aloud.

"How many have you killed?" Piper asked, her voice coarse as she recalled Humphrey's neck snapping under the invisible force of her powers.

"I only make them grow weak, and leave the tough part to Ms. Claudette."

Piper raised a brow at his reply, but their attention shifted when a shout came across the hallway.

Ms. Claudette was in another room, sneaking up to an armed man from behind, and touching his hand. He immediately fell to the floor, causing his friends to yell in panic. Gunshots erupted inside the room, and people began to run. Out of nowhere, there was a huge thud, a thick cloud of dust fuming.

Ms. Claudette was then thrown out into the whizzing bullets-filled hallway. Danny, in his steel form, emerged from the curtain of dust. He walked up to Ms. Claudette, lifting her up from the floor with a grip around her neck. Ms. Claudette's energy absorption powers had no effects on his hard skin. He then smashed her down at the floor and stomped his foot on her throat.

"No!" Piper reached her hand out, violently propelling Danny into the wall.

Danny was plunged through into another room, his men scattered out of the way in panic.

"It's her! She's over there!" One of Danny's team members shouted.

Piper ducked behind the wall of her room as gunshots raged in her direction. Her back against the wall, she concentrated on her powers and felt the invisible grips on the moving beings. With precision, she slit their arms and legs, temporarily disabling them. Their guns dropped, and they fell to the ground, howling.

Clear of bullets, Piper and Christopher rushed into the hallway and hauled Ms. Claudette into the nearest room.

Christopher helped the old woman lie down on her back. A hand on her throat, Ms. Claudette retched, wheezing for air. "Are you all right, Ms. Claudette!?"

The ceiling shook, more pebbles showering down. It was as though the whole ground would soon swallow them all.

"It's not safe here anymore. We have to go! Now!" Christopher crouched on all fours to avoid the shower of bullets.

"The stairs!" Piper pointed to the left of the hallway.

Christopher slipped his arms under the back of Ms. Claudette's neck and knees, lifting her up. "Let's go!"

Piper edged near the doorway and peeked into the hallway. It was fogged with dust, and the gunshots seemed to have lessened. "Come on," she said, leading the way.

Christopher was about to follow, but a hand had grabbed and pulled his arm back. He howled when the steel hand tightened, breaking his right arm like a twig. Christopher dropped Ms. Claudette's body, crying out.

Piper turned to see her friend fall to his knees. "Christopher!" But before she could reach him, a bullet shot through her right thigh, and she spun off her balance, falling to the ground. The pain shot through the lower half of her body, warm blood trickling down, soaking her jeans. She tried to cover the wound with her hands, but her whole body was trembling.

Danny came to stand next to her, looking down at her. "I'm so sorry, Piper. But you should know when to surrender."

Piper growled through her gritted teeth, fire in her eyes. "Never!"

Danny was shove back, pinned to the wall. His men yelled and gathered, trying to get him down. One of them turned and pointed his rifle at Piper, but Danny commanded, "Don't kill her!"

Piper directed her powers and broke every gun in the squad members' hands, literally in half. The men halted in terror before Piper smashing them into the wall, knocking them unconscious. She watched as the room quieted down in an instance.

"Ah!" Piper whimpered as she tried to sit up. Her wound was bleeding badly. Beads of sweat trickled down her ashen face. She breathed hard, her body trembling from spending so much powers. She put her quivering hands over her wound. _Fuck..._ She blinked slowly, her mind starting to numb. If only she could stop her bleeding.

Then a pair of black boots came into her view. Piper took a moment to register the proximity. Panting, she looked up, her whole body shaking in cold sweat. It was a skinhead, tall man with caramel-colored skin and thick shoulders. His deep, dark eyes were wide, watching, scrutinizing her.

It was over.

Lost.

Her powers were gone. Empty. Wasn't it the moment she used to long for, being freed from the unwanted supernatural powers? The moment was here now, but she was beyond terrified.

"I will show you how your powers should be used," Kubra said. His voice was strange calm.

Danny had been released from the wall. In front of him was the kneeling Christopher, the steel hand fisting his short hair. Her friend's neck craned to the side by Danny's harsh grip. There was fright in Christopher's eyes as he knew what Piper's powers could do.

"Oh, God, no! Please, no!" Piper tried to get up, but instantly fell back down. She couldn't feel her right leg anymore.

Christopher's cry came first, piercing Piper's ears. Then his face twisted in pain as the skin around his neck began to split as though cut by an invisible knife. Her powers were stolen, but Piper could still feel warm liquid trickling down her hands, his flesh against her fingertips, his blood in her nails. His head was ripped off his shoulders, and Piper screamed until her vision turned black.

* * *

Lightning sizzled through her skin. Alex felt the heat run through her veins, enveloping her beating heart, becoming one with her. When all she could see was white, so bright and empty, the blue currents within her was the only thing that had kept her company.

Her legs kept trudging ahead, tired and sore, but she had no idea where she was heading. Everything hurt, even in the air in her lungs, the bones in her body—the blood in her veins.

The hot, blue light gathered on her right hand, and it was released again. Again and again. Alex had struck blindly as though trying to break herself from this shell of emptiness. She was stuck, and she was scared.

"Mom... mom..." Alex began to turn, around and around, searching for a sign. She kept calling out, her lips parched, her throat dry. Tears brimmed her eyes. Panic rose as she began to run, sobbing for her mother. But response never came.

"...help... Alex..."

Alex spun around. Her bloodshot eyes widened as she stared into nothingness. "Mom?" Nothing. "Mom." Nothing. "Mom!"

"Alex!"

A tight grip caught her arm, and Alex was pulled down hard to her knees. She winced at the impact. Her head was dizzy, her vision darkened and blurry. Something was happening around her, and she couldn't see.

"Alex! Help!"

Alex cringed at the cry for help. The urgency in the voice frightened her. It reminded her of her mother's plea. It reminded her of desperation—of her failed attempt to make things right. Then she remembered. The blood pouring down Diane's neck wound. The knife in her mother's throat. Diane's wide eyes were filled with terror, eventually sadness.

Alex was sad. She felt it enveloping her like a soaked, heavy cloth hanging over her. The white around her gradually turned gray, and then pitch-black. Darkness crept in, consuming her. They crawled at her feet, eating up her whole. Her mind wasn't functioning anymore. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"ALEX!"

Her eyes snapped open. Alex was left breathless from her daze. She turned around, wildly. The dome ceiling fell apart, shards of glasses showering down upon them. The concrete ground crumbled, half of the floor collapsed, producing a huge opening in the middle of the central hall.

Alex tried to stay on her feet on the quaking ground. Only then that she turned around and saw Jessica crawling nearby.

"Alex—" Jessica yelped when the ground underneath her collapsed.

Alex slid along the floor, catching Jessica's hand before the blonde would be swallowed by the ground. She tightened her grasp and pulled her friend up to the stable ground.

Jessica climbed up, out of breath. Her eyes were wide, her chest hammering. Blonde locks cascaded down her sweaty face. "Thanks. I mean... thanks."

"You're welcome," Alex said. Lying on her back, she gazed up at the wide opening on the dome roof. The moon was full and high, its brilliance shining down at them. She had no idea what had just happened. Her body had acted out of pure instinct. Slowly, but surely, the agony began to set in. The memories of Red in the cell, her mother walking in, the knife in her hand, and the blood that was spilled from her mother's neck. The nightmare relived over again and again. Alex shut her eyes before tears would fall, her fists clenched.

"Where's your mother? Did you find her?"

Alex didn't reply. She couldn't. She didn't open her eyes, afraid to face reality. Maybe if she just lost herself in that nothingness. Maybe if she never woke again. Alex flinched when a hand grabbed hers, a thumb rubbing her skin. It felt real, and she knew that she couldn't run away from the truth.

"I'm so sorry." Jessica planted a kiss on her forehead. She hugged Alex, letting her have a solemn moment. "We have to leave now. This place is falling apart. Both Lorna and John are injured. I have to get them out of here. Help me."

Alex opened her eyes. She nodded as she wiped her tears away. She saw Jessica moving towards the two bodies on the floor. Fortunately, the debris hadn't fallen on them. Alex got up and followed Jessica, helping the barely conscious John to his feet, while Jessica took care of Morello.

Alex put John's arm around her neck, and turned towards the exit across the hall. She noted several cracks on the ground, while minding the constant gunshots nearby.

"Wait. Did you see Chapman?" Jessica asked from behind.

Alex glanced over her shoulder. "She's waiting outside."

"No, she went to the lower levels to find you."

Alex stopped dead in her tracks. _Piper._

Jessica looked bewildered when Alex put John down and pushed her way towards the stairway. "Alex, don't go! The building is collapsing!"

Alex ran as fast as she could, but a broken column had fallen down, blocking her way. She had to crouch down for a moment, coughing at the dust. When the dust settled, she looked up to see the giant climbing over the damaged roof.

Howard was bleeding on his left leg, and a big chunk of flesh on his right shoulder had been bitten off. Flying above Howard was the lizard man, Mendez.

Mendez dove down, clawing Howard's left eye out. The giant howled as he slipped and fell down through the roof's opening.

Alex struck a lightning at the lizard, pulling him down from the sky with webs of blue currents. However, she lost the hold on Mendez when the ground underneath her suddenly overturned. She tumbled backwards, almost falling into the hole that was an underground level as she gripped the edge of the cracked floor in time. She kicked her legs in the air, trying to hold on to the upper floor.

Injured, Mendez plummeted to the ground, and Howard took the opportunity to tackle the lizard. The giant grabbed his left wing and tore it off, blood shooting up at his chest, dripping down his chin. Mendez screeched out sharp, horrible sounds before Howard grabbed his head.

_Snap!_

The lizard man's movement came to a standstill. Howard pushed Mendez's body away, while he himself flopped to the ground, gasping for breaths. His body turned into his natural form, wounded and powerless.

Alex climbed up to the stable ground. Jessica was on the other side of the fallen column. But before Alex could climb over to the blonde, she halted at the sight of Kubra Balik rising up through the opening of the floor.

Kubra levitated gracefully as though it was his natural ability. It was his gift, to steal powers and make them seamlessly his own. But what terrorized Alex was knowing the current source of his powers.

_Piper_.

Blue electric currents erupted at her fists, crawling fast up her arms. All she could think of was that this man murdered her mother and Nicky, and had taken Piper hostage. All she wanted was to kill him.

Kubra turned midair, staring down at her. There was hate in his eyes—rage from being betrayed. He was the one who never forgave. "You should have died in that cell instead of your mother. You failed her."

Alex took in a breath, but the air cut through her lungs like a sharpened knife. He was vile and despicable, but he was right. She failed both Diane and Nicky, and she would never be able to forgive herself. Tears flooded her heart, and there was only one way to release them.

A lightning bolt climbed down from the sky, but Kubra flew away, narrowly escaping the strike. He raised his right hand, lifting the broken column up and hurling it at Alex.

"Watch out!" Jessica warned.

Alex delivered another bolt of lightning, bursting the column before it could hit her, dust and pebbles showering upon her. She struck back repeatedly, but Kubra was too fast. The lightning bolts hit the walls and columns instead, literally tearing the building apart. Alex grew frustrated at how apt Kubra was with telekinetic powers. It didn't help when her mind constantly wondered where or how Piper was. She couldn't lose Piper. She couldn't lose anymore, or there would be nothing left worth living for. She needed to strike him. Just one strike. But she kept missing. Her concentration kept slipping when it mattered most. As she missed the target, fears began to engulf her, her energy depleted.

"You cannot defeat me, Vause. You are unmatched to me." Kubra glowered down at her as he flew higher into the air. He raised both hands up, and after a moment, the remaining of the roof began to tremble and collapse.

At once, Jessica shielded herself and Alex, along with Howard, Lorna and John under an ice screen. But Kubra slid a huge, concrete block, breaking the ice, pushing Alex off the stable ground.

_Fuck!_ Alex plummeted through the large opening of the floor and landed hard on the residence level. Her head hit the concrete floor. The air was knocked out of her lungs, her vision blackened.

"Alex! Are you all right!?" Jessica crawled towards the edge of the hole, looking down.

For a moment, Alex lied still on her side, Jessica's voice echoing distantly in her ears. Her head turned slightly, and her gaze caught the familiar pair of blue eyes staring right at her.

_Piper._ Alex absentmindedly noted.

Across the floor, Piper was lying on the ground, her eyes barely open. Her blonde head was messy, her pretty face tarred. There were some bloody spots on her clothes, but the worst had to be what appeared to be a gunshot wound on her right thigh. Piper looked utterly pale even in the dark. She must have lost a lot of blood even though it seemed that Danny, who was standing guard the power source, had dressed the wound by wrapping a cloth around her thigh.

It took Alex a moment to register what she was seeing. Then a wild panic rushed through her. She pushed herself up, panting. "Pipes!"

* * *

The constant, loud thuds from the upper floor scared Piper. They were too loud, and the ground trembled at every hit. Her body was weak. She couldn't move anymore. The only thing she could do was wait. She waited for the ceiling to break. And it did.

Piper shut her eyes momentarily, waiting for the dust to settle. She coughed, and her stomach hurt just by the small movement. Cold. It felt so cold, her mind numbed. When the air finally cleared, she opened her eyes again, blinking slowly.

_Alex._

Piper's heart stopped when she caught the green gaze. Alex was lying on the floor, looking right at her. It felt like a sweet dream emerging amidst nightmares. Alex was still alive.

Alex got up to her feet, her face pale. She was visibly shaken. "She needs help. You have to get her to the hospital!"

Danny offered no response.

"For God's sake, she's your sister!"

Piper lied still, listening to those words echoing in her head, slowly grasping the meaning of them all. She turned her head and gazed up at her brother. He looked like a lifeless, steel mannequin. She might even detect the sadness in his blue eyes, which strangely mirrored her own.

Piper's attention shifted when her gaze lifted up to see Kubra floating high in the air. His focus was on Alex, his eyes darkened with contempt.

"Ah... ah!" Alex sharply bent, a hand clutching at her chest.

Piper's eyes widened. She wouldn't know what was going on except that she could feel Alex's heart in her hand. She felt her powers reeling, but little to no control over it. The heart muscle was beating faster, fighting against her deadly grip. Horror filled her whole. Piper raised her shoulders, trying to get up, but her body was so frail that she fell back down, breathless.

Alex thrashed on the ground. Electric currents weakly flashed along her hands and arms, but quickly died down. She tried to resist the invisible force, but there wasn't much of a fight.

"Alex!" Piper pushed herself to sit up. She shook her head in disbelief, her chest tightened in panic. It felt wrong. It just felt so wrong to feel Alex's life in her hand, only to be taking it away. She had to stop this. She had to.

_Thud!_

Piper looked up to see Kubra being congealed into an ice block. His body fell to the floor of ground level, rolling amongst the debris.

Alex had only a moment to catch her breath. Danny was quick to get to her, knocking her down with his fist against her left ear. Alex curled into a ball at his repeated assaults.

"Danny, please! Stop!" Piper tried to get up on her feet, but fell down again.

Jessica tried to freeze Danny, but he could break her ice easily with his steely fists. All Jessica did was buying some time for Alex. To make matters worse, Kubra had broken the ice block, successfully breaking out and flying into the air again. Jessica panicked and shot ice spikes at him, but to no avail. He was on-guard now, effortlessly breaking the spikes before they could hit him.

When Danny was distracted by his concern for his master, Alex blasted the lightning down at the steel man, plunging him through two floors, burying him deep in the confinement level. She turned around just in time to see Kubra raised one hand, and Jessica's throat was slit open.

"NO!" Alex shouted.

Piper froze. It all happened so fast. Jessica's body fell down the crater and landed on the underground level. Horror filled Piper as Jessica stared lifelessly at her. It was her murder. The powers were hers. The blood was on her hand.

Alex glared up at Kubra, her clenched fists trembling in anger.

Kubra turned in midair, but a powerful bolt of lightning blasted down at him. Even though he was quick to fly away, the impact was too great. His flight lost its balance, and he landed hard on the floor. Another bolt of lightning struck the column, bursting it in half. The concrete mass fell on his legs, trapping him at the spot. Kubra's scream of pain was the sweetest sound Piper had ever heard.

Out of breath, Alex looked up at the upper floor, where Kubra struggled, trapped, along the edge of the opening of the floor. Tears and sweat streamed down his face. Panic rose in his dark, wild eyes. He tried to get out. The concrete mass began to tremble, but only slightly as he was severely wounded. His powers were greatly reduced.

Alex conjured another bolt of lightning in her hands, readying to deliver the final strike. However, the blue light suddenly vanished. Gone. It was as though Alex had hesitated. It was as though Alex had changed her mind. Alex turned to catch Piper's gaze, just a moment before a bolt of lightning struck down at her. She slid to her knees and fell to her side.

Piper stared at the still form lying on the floor several feet away from her.

There wasn't a sound of breathing. Alex did not move. She did not get up.

Piper kept staring at Alex. She found it hard to understand. "Alex…? Alex… Al, please, talk to me. Al…? No… No, _please_..."

Silence.

Piper felt it now. She got her powers back when it didn't matter anymore. Tears welled up her eyes, and she couldn't see Alex now. Was this all just an endless nightmare? When would she wake from this? Someone. Somebody needed to wake her from this. "Alex... Alex! Please...! Wake up..." Piper gulped down her tears. She needed to stop this hurt. She needed to find a time traveler. She had to find the myth and make it real.

Piper snapped when she heard Kubra whimpering. He was on the upper level, and she was on the other side, where he couldn't see her. But she could see him. She felt his presence. Her powers found him, and had a hold of him.

Kubra struggled to get out from the debris, his legs almost torn off completely. All of a sudden, his eyes began to bleed. He jerked out hysterically, scratching around his eyes, realizing what was happening. "Please! Please, no! No! Please, don't—ahh—aaaaahhhhh!" He violently writhed as his eyeballs were crushed, blood streaming down his face.

His cry echoed through the hall, and Piper let him live with it. She wanted to hear him suffer as if it could lessen hers—as if it could compensate what she had lost.

Her eyes determined, Piper crawled towards Alex, grunting as pain shot down her leg. When she reached Alex, she softly pushed her to rest on her back. She cupped Alex's face with both hands. Alex was still warm, and it only made Piper feel like she was only sleeping. She kept calling for her, but there was no response but the echoes of her own voice. It felt so empty, distant—so hollow inside. What had brought them to this? If only she could turn back the time. If only Alex could wrap her arms around her again.

But time travelers did not exist. Time simply passed.

"Al, please, get up… you have to… Please... don't leave..." Piper listened to her own small, raspy voice, her body hardened, her heart despaired. She placed one hand over Alex's chest, a tear falling down on the back of her hand. Emptiness was all she felt. An empty road ahead was all she saw. "Please, don't leave me… I love you."

Then the touch against her fingertips became real. Piper felt it again. She had reached in, Alex's heart in her hold. She closed her eyes and let it all sink it, becoming one with her. She concentrated all the powers and energy she had left. She had to. She must get the heart to start again.

Seconds. Minutes. Moments passed. Everything started to blur, blending together with the hazy background. Piper felt Alex's heart, a motionless organ that would soon grow cold in her grasp. She kept pumping it, powering it as though it were her own. She had lost sense of time. She had lost all hopes. She just kept going, rushing ahead into the dark. It was always where they found each other, a thorny path which had led them together. They both could close their eyes and still found each other. In life, or death.

A pulse.

A breath.

Piper's eyes fluttered open and met with the wild, green gaze. Alex's body jerked into motion. Her heart started beating again in Piper's grasp.

Alex retched and coughed, her face reddened, as though she had just surfaced from deep water. Piper had to grab her shoulders, trying to soothe her. Out of breath, Alex took a few moments to register what was going on. Her bloodshot gaze wandered into the distance before finally finding Piper's blue.

Piper smiled down faintly. "Hey," she whispered, her voice choked. The immense joy to see Alex looking back at her was indescribable. It amazed her how a simple glance from Alex could end her nightmare.

Still a little shaky, Alex struggled to sit up, her body movements slow. She edged closer and wrapped one arm around Piper. Gently, but firmly. Alex let out a subtle sigh of relief as she caressed the back of Piper's head, urging her to lean against her.

Piper rested in the embrace, her head against Alex's chest, listening to the heartbeat. It sang to her like the sweetest melody. She then let exhaustion take over her like heavy chains. Slow breaths. Cold, sharp wind. Numbed mind, and battered body. Blue eyes glanced up at the sky through the broken roof, and saw the first light.

The dawn was breaking.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

* * *

_The island of dreams._

The dreams were endless. Sometimes they intertwined. Sometimes they managed to continue even after she woke in the middle of the night, refusing to go away. Most of the times they were bad, bad dreams.

Blood. Pain. Horror. Guilt.

For twenty-two months, Piper hadn't gone on a day without thinking about what happened at the headquarters raid. For that period of time, she hadn't gone on a day without thinking about the losses, or how she could have prevented them. She wasn't sure if she would ever forget. Those memories, however painful, had become a part of her, a deep scar that could never be erased.

Wind swept her blonde locks. Blue eyes stared out into the ocean, admiring the oceanic view before sunset. The sky was golden, and the sea was calm. Piper stood along the southern cliff of the island. White blouse. Black coat. Hands in her pockets.

"It's been a while. It's good to see you again, Piper Chapman."

Piper looked over her shoulder, and then smiled. "Good to see you, too, Red."

The fiery-haired woman grinned. She appeared to have gained weight slightly since last time Piper saw her. "You look great! You look healthy!"

"Thank you."

Red came to stand next to Piper, looking out at the sea. She breathed in the fresh air. "I saw the flowers at Nicky's gravestone. Same kind of bouquets at Jessica's and Christopher's, too, so I figured who's visiting."

Piper sighed. "Nothing escapes you."

"How is life treating you?"

Piper squinted at the golden sun behind the beautifully painted, pink clouds. Today was her first visit at Litchfield after the raid nearly two years ago. That early morning, she had been admitted into a local hospital to treat her gunshot wound, while others had been transferred to different hospitals around the city. The only patient from Litchfield that had been admitted to the same hospital as her was John Bennett. Seeing his half-burnt face and body reminded her of her own mistakes and failures to control her own powers. It only made her detest herself even more. To this day, she hadn't even met Christopher or Jessica's families. The first fifteen months had been the hardest time of her life.

"Better than I'd hoped," Piper replied, tucking her hair behind her ear. Soft wind was ringing in her ears, soothing her—remind her that it was all real. She was here, at last.

"Time will heal everything. It did for me." There was a hint of sadness in Red's eyes, but it was quickly overcame by the look of determination. "We all learn from our mistakes. At least, that's what I hope. It's the only way I know how."

Piper studied Red, a soft smile on her face. To hear Red admitting her defeat wasn't easy. To see Red showing regrets was hard.

"The sleeps are better?" Red asked.

Piper did miss Red's Russian accent, or how Red used to scold at her in the training room. "Yeah. Kind of."

"No pills?"

"I try not to take them."

"Ouch." Red made a face, but there were smiles on her wrinkles.

Piper began to like this version of Red. The woman seemed much more relaxed than Piper last remembered. Red had become a new kinda of leader at Litchfield. A tough, but caring, motherly kind. She was the softer person who could have been there for Nicky, but now for everyone. There were no more deals with the government in sending off disqualified residents for experiments. Funds were scarce, but residents were trained to depend on themselves. Everyone was looking for a way to start a new life. Everyone was trying to forget.

Last time Piper had met Larry was three weeks after the raid. Larry flew to see her in Turkey, demanding that his injured father be released from Litchfield. Piper found it ridiculous that Howard would need such a permission from anyone. After losing an eye, and much more, from the fight, Howard finally retired. He had known that his time was up. Larry had contacted Piper again just a few months ago, sending her pictures of Howard sailing out into the ocean, fishing, living through the storms, daring life and death until the last moment. The pictures showed Howard's laughs. The giant's laughs. Larry had wished her well, and Piper was grateful.

"Nobody blamed you. We fought. We lost and gained some," Red said. "Litchfield is still home for the gifted ones, because we fought to keep it alive. We won. We put the bad guys away. They're locked up, and they'll never be able to harm anyone again. You helped making that happen."

Piper understood every word, but it was still hard to forgive herself. Impossible to forget.

"At some point, we all have to move on. Litchfield needs more people like you."

"No, you don't. I wouldn't be able to train anyone." Piper sharply looked away.

"Oh, no, I'll never ask you to fight again. We're building new homes, new warehouses. We have tons of new projects, and we need more people than ever. We need brains. You'll be a good addition!"

The sun had set, and the golden light slowly slipped below the horizontal line. The waves crashed hard against the rocks below. Piper did feel good at Red's enthusiasm. "I'm sorry, Red. But I work for my dad's friend now. It pays well. Really well." She then cleared her throat, struggling with silence. Money wasn't her concern at all, and she knew that Red knew as well.

"I'll keep the position open. Come! We have a small dinner party tonight. Lorna will debut her soup that I taught her. They'll be glad to see you again!"

Piper shrugged, smiling. "All right. I'd love to see them, too."

Red patted Piper's shoulder, and together they began to walk down the path.

* * *

_The plain reality._

Piper flew down from the dark sky and landed wobbly on her feet in an isolated area of the park. She had had quite a few glasses of wine over dinner, and her flight from the island had been rather adventurous and reckless. She had flown fast and close to the surface of the sea. There were still drops of sea water on her face. She could still smell the salt in her messy hair.

For the first time in a long while, Piper felt good using her powers, which she had adamantly avoided. She liked flying. She liked being high in the air, totally free from everything. Being back at Litchfield probably had done it for her. Being around the gifted ones, seeing her old friends again, must have brought her closer to her true self. It helped Piper to see how happy and busy Lorna was, being the hall director of the South Mansion, while Polly was the hall director of the North Mansion. Litchfield was now run by a committee, elected by all residents. The island was no longer one man's show, but everyone's responsibility. On top of all good news was Daya and John's wedding next month. Piper was invited, and she accepted it. She hadn't gone on a festive event in a long time, and she definitely needed a new dress.

Her face warm, Piper walked to her favorite bench near the lamppost. Thick, tall trees lined up behind the row of benches. She sat down on the bench, relaxed. She loved how quiet and calm the park was during the night.

"Hey, cylinder."

Piper looked up. It was the short-haired homeless woman she had been seeing around the park for about a month now. "Hi, Lolly. How are you this evening?" Piper didn't feel the need to correct her name.

Lolly stopped in front of Piper, pushing the old cart with her. There were rolled magazines and newspapers, torn hats, rusty, tin cans, broken lullabies, oval mirrors of several sizes, frisbees, golf clubs, pots and pans, and most importantly of all, a potato. Lolly once told Piper that the potato was her power source, and had it replaced with a new one every week. Piper just assumed that Lolly stole them from some supermarkets nearby.

"I see you here three times a week," Lolly said. "Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday."

Piper just nodded. Lolly tended to repeat a lot of stuff, and got them all mixed up.

"Who sent you?" Lolly squinted at her, pushing her glasses up a bit.

Piper chortled. The conversation repeated itself every time they saw each other. "No one sent me. I'm here to—"

"CIA?"

"No—"

"NSA?"

"No, Lolly—"

"UFO!"

Piper laughed. That was a new one. "Do I look like an alien?"

Lolly stared at Piper's face for a moment. "That's not what aliens look like. But I saw you fly like a superman. He's an alien, so you must be alien, too!"

Piper froze. It was dark enough, and she was careful in her landing. She was rather certain that no one had been around to witness it. "What are you talking about?" Her voice darkened.

Lolly made a whoosh sound, with excited hand gestures. "You flew down like Clark Kent! Not even a tremor. Spectacular landing! Who trained you? Oh, I know. I know. The government is _very_ resourceful, and they have _a lot_ of money. They have special trainings for humans and aliens—"

"What's going on here? Who's this?" A husky voice came from behind, and Piper instantly turned.

"Alex!" Piper smiled the first genuine smile of the day. The first, real smile in a long time. Seeing the brief look of astonishment on Alex's face, she could tell that Alex was surprised by it, too.

Alex was holding a thick textbook in one hand, a backpack slung over her shoulder. "Hey, you, leave her alone," Alex ordered, gestured at Lolly.

"It's ok, Alex. This is Lolly. I see her here very often while I wait for you. She's harmless," Piper explained. She walked up to the taller woman, linking their arms together.

Alex stared at Lolly, while the homeless woman took a step back, looking back at her in suspicion.

"_Harmless_," Lolly echoed.

Alex shook her head, and turned to Piper. "I'm sorry I'm late. My professor wanted to talk to me after class."

"What about?" Piper asked.

Piper was absolutely thrilled when Alex told her that she would give college a try. Alex was already starting her second year.

Alex shrugged. "Turned out that she just wanted a coffee date—ouch!" She yelped when Piper punched her arm. "How is that my fault? Reason?"

Piper tightened her grip on Alex's forearm. "If she tried to hit on you, I will smack a bitch down." She felt the rush of possessiveness, and she didn't like it. She knew how much Alex loved her, but she still went crazy jealous every time. For a moment, they just stared at each other, both a little astounded by their closeness. Piper couldn't help but blush.

"See you on Friday, Lolly," Piper said as she began to lead Alex, heading out of the park.

"Yes, sir, milady. Friday, it is." Lolly saluted.

Alex followed Piper's lead, but she turned to look over her shoulder at the strange woman.

"_Friday,_" Lolly echoed, staring right at Alex.

Alex's frown deepened before she turned back to her direction.

* * *

_The wall between us._

"Where's she from?" Alex was washing the dishes at the sink, her back facing Piper, who was sitting by the wooden dining table behind the kitchen island. Alex was in a white wife beater and a pair of black jogger pants.

Piper looked up from her cup of Belgian-chocolate ice-cream. "Who?" After the shower, she had changed into a comfy pair of creamy-colored, matching pajamas. Her hair was still wet.

"The woman at the park."

"Lolly? Oh, she's homeless. I've seen her around for a month now. She's a little, uh—"

"Mentally unstable?" Alex raised a brow, briefly glancing over her shoulder at the blonde.

"Kind of."

"Are you sure that she is?"

Piper frowned. "What do you mean?"

"She seems weird. Has she been following you around? Have you noticed if—"

"Are you saying that she might be a spy?" A glint of playfulness in her eyes, Piper licked her silver spoon, leaning back against the chair. "Seriously? For who? The CIA? NSA? FBI? Because that's exactly what she's been suspecting about everyone at the park. You sound just like her now."

"If making fun of me could lift up your mood like this, then, by all means, please, do. Everyday." Alex chuckled and turned her attention back to the dishes.

Piper stalled for a moment before taking the spoon out of her mouth. It wasn't totally unexpected to hear it, considering how their relationship had turned cold after the headquarters raid. The battle was over, but the scars remained.

Alex would be there to wake Piper from her nightmares and console her. And Piper would catch Alex yelling in her own bad dreams. There were times when Alex would forgo sleep altogether. There were times when Piper woke with sweat, panting from running the invisible miles in her sleep, only to see Alex up, standing out in the balcony, silently battling her own demons while awake.

Alex had rarely mentioned Diane since, and while Piper sought helps from a therapist, Alex shoved everything under the rug. They both tried to move on, but kept missing each other's pace, lost in the pain and fears between them.

"I'm so sorry. I should have been more considerate," Piper said.

Alex cleaned up the last dish and turned off the faucet. She walked up to Piper and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry about it. I like seeing you smile."

Piper grabbed Alex's wrist before the woman could walk away. Like she always did. Like how it was between them now. They walked out of the ruins, alive, but lost each other out in the real world, battered and scared. Together, but alone.

"I went to Litchfield today," Piper said.

Alex stopped. There was a long moment of silence before she said, "Oh, cool. How did it go?"

Piper carefully studied her girlfriend's face. The visit was impromptu. She just felt it at the moment, and she just decided to get up and go. She had to, or else she would burst in guilt, drowned in nightmares. She had to see what was happening on the other side right now, so that she would know where she stood. "It went really well."

Alex looked surprised. Glad for Piper, but also a little scared. "Wow. That's… that's really great. Good for you, Pipes."

Piper bit her bottom lip as she stood up, cupping Alex's cheek with her left hand. "I didn't mean to keep it from you. It was on the spur of the moment thing. But it turned out great. Everyone, they just… everyone has moved on, Alex. Maybe. Just maybe we could, too. I would love it for us. I could take you with me next time—"

Alex quickly pulled away, heading towards the bedroom. "Yeah, sure, that's a great idea. I got an essay to work on tonight. Got an early class tomorrow, too. Let's talk about it some other times, all right?"

The door shut, and that was the only conversation they had tonight. Piper let Alex bury herself in her homework. She watched when Alex fell asleep at the desk, and then put a blanket over the woman's shoulders. Sometimes Alex didn't touch their bed for several days at a time, and Piper would wake up in the middle of the night, cold and lonely. She had forgotten that Alex, too, was left cold and lonely in her own corner.

* * *

_Friday._

Piper was just waiting in the park as usual. Waiting to go home with Alex had been the most exciting, the most rewarding event of the day for her. Alex had a test tonight, and the woman was confident that she would ace it. Piper was really proud of her girlfriend, no matter the outcome. And, in truth, she anticipated the wait for Alex more than usual tonight, wanting to make sure that the instructor wouldn't try anything funny.

"Hey, cylinder."

Piper looked up from her cell phone. "Hey, Lolly." She casually greeted, and went back to her phone, skimming through news app.

"Look what I got today! Finally! Three, fresh potatoes! These! These are going to be my sources of power!"

Piper briefly glanced up at the homeless woman. "They look fresh," she remarked, smiling lightly, before returning her attention at the phone again.

"Yes, it's the key ingredient to a successful time travel! The more fresh potatoes I have, the better the chance is," Lolly explained.

Piper looked up again, her brows raised. "Really. You can travel through time?" She decided to entertain the woman.

Lolly pushed her black-rimmed glasses up her nose. "Yes!"

"Ok. Well, when were you born? Where are you from?"

"I came from many places, you see. Sometimes I got them all mixed up. But I used to work at your grandfather's publishing company in Bridgeport. Joseph P. Montgomery, wasn't it? Yes, Mr. Montgomery! I remember him very well. I started working for him since your mother was just a child."

Piper stopped at the personal information she had never given anyone, much less a homeless stranger she met in a park. "What did you say?" Her throat was dry. Had Alex been right about Lolly being a spy? After all, Lolly had witnessed her flying, and why would an ordinary human not be afraid of her.

Lolly waved her hands. "I know it's confusing. I traveled so much that it started to confuse me, too. But Mr. Montgomery stood out. We were good friends."

Piper stood up, glaring at the woman. "Who are you? Tell me now, or I will be forced to force you to answer."

Lolly took a step back at Piper's dangerous tone, hiding behind her cart full of garbage.

Piper halted, stunned by the surge of her own violent powers. It was so easy. After months of trying to bury it, her powers easily surfaced against her wish. At this point, she wondered if Alex had slept anywhere but their bed out of fears that her powers would surge in her sleep.

"I… I'm sorry. How did you know all of this? Who told you?" Piper lowered her voice, trying to calm herself down.

"I told you! I worked for your grandfather! It was long ago, though. I knew his secrets. His powers. Just like yours."

Piper's head was reeling now. Her grandfather was a telekinetic? Nobody had ever mentioned it. Or no one knew. He must have kept it secret all his life. Did grandma know? Anybody? Anyone at all.

_Was he lonely? _

The question rang deep within Piper, but the answer was already there. She knew because it was how she felt most of her life. Only Alex had understood. Even so, sometimes it was hard to reach and find the boundary of it all. Sometimes she was just lost in the bottomless pit of her powers.

"And he knew my powers. Mr. Montgomery would ask me to go to places to fix things for him." Lolly nodded, arms across her chest.

Piper's jaw dropped. Was this woman crazy? Or was Piper crazy to believe this crazy woman? Litchfield and Kubra's faction never once came across a time traveler, but Piper just ran into one in a random park. Was it even possible?

"I don't know what to say," Piper mumbled, a hand on her forehead.

Lolly began to look through stuff in her cart. "Don't worry. I get it. No one believed me anyway. No one but Mr. Montgomery."

"I need some kind of proofs." Piper bit her bottom lip.

"I can go back in time and get it for you, but it could take years for me to find you again." Bent over the cart, Lolly continued to plow through the garbage.

Piper ran her hand through her blonde locks, sighing. Right. She had been entertained enough for the evening. "Why would it take years, Lolly? Shouldn't it take just seconds to time travel?" She couldn't believe that she almost fell for the trap. This woman almost had her.

Lolly looked up from her cart. She gestured at her own head, shrugging. "Sometimes I could get it right. Sometimes, not. I was born with it. They say I'm crazy, and I know. But I can't fix it. Not if I go back in time and separate my parents. I tried… but the consequences were even worse. So I just fixed other people's problems instead. Like Mr. Montgomery´s problems. I considered him a really good friend. We shared secrets. _Many_ secrets."

Piper began to pace around, trying to make sense of everything. "What kind of problems my grandfather had?"

Lolly's eyes widened. "Dark, shady problems. He was a very scary man. But he was my friend, so I helped him."

Piper looked at Lolly, suspicious. "Like what?"

"He asked me to get rid of some people by preventing them from being born." Lolly ticked her chin as she recalled. "And if they were born, he told me to steal the babies and put them away. It worked a few times, but most of the times, the babies ended up dead."

Piper froze at the revelations, unsure what to think. Joseph died when she was just four. She didn't remember much of him at all, but she just couldn't imagine her grandfather as a horrible man, who manipulated a vulnerable person to commit crimes for him.

"Like I said, the consequences could be worse. And my powers weren't always serviceable. I've been stuck here for years! I don't even know what year it is anymore! But I guess I got lucky running into you at last." Lolly grinned.

Piper was taken aback. "You were looking for me?" She had no idea what Lolly was capable of, no clue if the woman was just insane, or she was really a spy.

"Yes, your grandfather had a message for you. Uh... oh, man, it's been so long since I met him. He was _really_ sick last time I saw him. He was also very sad in his last days. Uh, what... what did he tell me? Let me think. One moment." Lolly squeezed her eyes tightly, pacing back and forth. "Think. Think. Think. Lolly, think."

Piper took in a few deep breaths, still unwilling to believe the crazy woman. But hope had ignited in the shadow of her heart. What if Lolly was really a time traveler? What if Lolly could make it happen and there would be no losses? What if Lolly could bring her back in time and stop Nicky's death? What if Piper could save Diane? What if she could stop Kubra from killing her friends? What if she could go back in time and stop Kubra from existing? What if she could stop all the pain and fix what was broken between her and Alex?

_Alex._

There was nothing Piper wouldn't do for Alex. The consequences could be worse, but she couldn't imagine anything worse than losing everyone she loved. If she could just trick the past. Just once. The opportunity was presenting itself right in front of her now. She had to take it. She couldn't pass it.

_Once. Just once._

"Don't. No... don't—oh—oh, I remember! I remember! He said, 'don't look back'!" Lolly pumped her fist. "Yes, I got it!"

Piper stopped. Everything stopped.

All of Piper's fleeting dreams and hopes simply vanished. Her grandfather's words echoed distantly in her head. Piper's knees weakened all of a sudden, and she sank onto the bench. She bent forward and buried her face in her palms. She was so tired. She was simply exhausted. She was getting nowhere. There would be no fixing. Joseph had Lolly 'fix' things for him, but he only ended up with regrets—the deep, dark secrets he took to his deathbed. He must have known of Piper's powers since she was just a little child, and so he had sent Lolly to warn her of the wicked powers of changing time. It was too late now. Everything was simply too late. She could never bring back Diane and their Litchfield friends. She could never fix things between her and Alex. They would never be the same again.

"Pipes?"

Piper flinched. She lifted her head and found Alex standing next to her. "Al?"

"What are you doing? Are you ok?" Alex sat down next to Piper, feverishly caressing her face.

The touches were urgent. They were the most heated touches Alex had given her in a while. They felt real. They burned. Piper quickly grabbed Alex's hands on her cheeks, welcoming the warmth. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine," she breathed. She knew that she would be all right as long as Alex was next to her.

Alex smiled in relief. "Let's go home."

"Yeah," Piper murmured. Alex grabbed her hand and got up, leading the way. Piper obediently followed. She looked over her shoulder once, and was astonished to see only the garbage cart. Lolly was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

_Our home._

Piper sat on the bed, the iPad in her hand. She glanced up at Alex, who was sitting at the desk, busy with another essay. She watched Alex for a long time, contented at how 'at home' they felt tonight. For the first time in a while, she didn't feel like she was looking at a stranger. For the first time in a while, she saw the familiar gaze from the green eyes whenever Alex took a second from the computer screen to glance her way. Strangely, the silence between them became more bearable tonight.

Piper resumed her reading. It should feel like a regular night. It should feel slightly heartwarming when Alex felt so close to her now. It was Friday night. It just felt good. But something was missing. Something was still off.

The empty cart full of garbage in the park. Its owner had vanished.

Piper looked up again, gazing out the window. She tried to suppress her sigh, but didn't succeed much. Alex instantly glanced at her as the sigh escaped her lips. Alex seemed fidgety tonight, alert and alive. Piper wasn't complaining. Not at all. Tonight had been such a whirlwind of the unexpected.

_Don't look back._

Leaning back against the headboard, Piper shut her eyes, chanting the mantra in her head.

_Don't look back._

Behind the darkness of her closed eyes, Piper saw how her friends were slain a thousand times over, their bodies laid motionless among the debris. She wanted to fix them. She wanted to make it right again.

_Don't look back._

Piper pushed the blanket off her and got out of bed. The calm night had proved to be unsatisfying.

"Pipes...? Where are you going?" Alex got up from her desk as well. She followed the blonde into the hallway. "Pipes, what's going on?"

Piper put her coat on, grabbed her keys, and hurried out the door.

* * *

_Present._

Piper rushed through the huge park, heading towards her favorite bench. Alex was closely behind her, clueless of what going on. There it was, the cart of full garbage, still standing in front of the bench. Piper turned around, trying to find the time traveler. She needed to take that chance. She needed to make everything right again.

"She's not here. Where did she go? She's gone. She must have—" Piper was cut off by a harsh grip on her arm, swinging her around to face a worried face.

"Pipes—"

"Oh, God, no. No, she's already left—"

"Pipes! Tell me what's going on. What are we doing here?" Alex cupped the blonde's face with both hands, trying to pull Piper's attention back to her. "What's going on? Talk to me."

Piper tried to calm down, her gaze flickering. "But she's gone. She's gone, Alex. I have to find her. I have to. I just want to—"

"Who? What are you talking about?" Alex stared into Piper's eyes, giving her full attention.

Piper momentarily stalled. She felt as though she had been seen for the first time. "The time traveler."

Alex stopped for a second. "What?"

"She's a time traveler. That crazy, homeless woman."

At the answer, Alex briefly looked away.

"You have to believe me, Alex. I should have followed her. I was too slow, and now she's gone!" Piper frantically looked around again. She pushed the cart down to the ground, the garbage scattered. The three potatoes were gone now. "No. No. No. No!"

Alex looked alarmed, but still kept her voice calm. She pulled her girlfriend away from the cart. "What's going on? What's this all about?"

"She knew about my grandfather! She knew things that no stranger could have known. I believe her, Alex. This is it, you see? She showed up for a reason. She could make things right again. She could bring back—"

Alex pulled Piper close, embracing her tightly. "It's really ok, Pipes. It doesn't matter. It doesn't anymore. I will try harder. We're going to be ok, I promise," she softly sighed in Piper's ears.

"This is not ok!" Piper pushed her lover back, her face reddened. "You have to believe me. She really is a time traveler! She... she..." She paused when Alex finally let go of her. Alex just nodded, looking elsewhere. The pose was familiar. The warmth departed. The distance in those green eyes came back again. Alex simply resigned. Alex gave up on them. Like she should.

_No_.

Piper had feared the worst, and it was happening. Right now. There was no way to fix this unless she found the time traveler again. She had to go back and fix—

Alex pulled a ring out of the coat's pocket, and Piper's train of thoughts ceased.

"I've been meaning to—I—I just... fuck, I can't find words." Alex exhaled. "I've wanted to talk about it for some times now, but there never was the right time. Some stuff always happened. Some shit always got in the way. You were scared. I tried to be busy. We just—we just grew apart. It was just hard." Alex shrugged. "Or maybe not. Maybe we just make things more difficult that they already are. Maybe if we could just look ahead instead of looking back."

Hands clutched at her chest, Piper looked straight at the taller woman in front of her. The intensity in the green eyes had replaced the cold distance between them, chasing away those horrid, lonely nights. She could see the uncertainty and the pain. She could see everything now so clearly. What had prevented her before? What had come between them? How long had they suffered? How much longer?

"It's weird, right? All of this." Alex dryly chuckled.

"Yeah." Piper gulped. "Weird."

Alex ran a hand through her dark hair. "I'm the master of handling everything completely wrong."

Piper didn't move. She couldn't move. Her gaze was still fixed on Alex. "Aren't we all?"

Alex stared into the blue eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "I don't think we're ready. I don't know when and if we'd ever be ready, but I don't want to do it alone. I know that it'll be more suffering with me, but I can't make it without you. And I don't want to share my happiness with anyone else either."

Piper looked at the ring sitting in Alex's palm, and then looked up at her. She was still trying to make sense of it all. She didn't quite want to believe it. It could be just another dream, and she would wake to another nightmare. But, whatever it was, reality or dream, she wanted Alex to be there. She needed Alex to be near.

"Only you."

t was so effortless to lose herself in Alex's deep gaze. With simple words of reassurance, Alex had erased all Piper's doubts away. Alex had reached out to her again, and everything suddenly seemed possible now. She wasn't nearly as afraid and lonely anymore.

Alex gently held Piper's hand up and carefully put the ring on. A promise was made. Their eyes lit up, their smiles widened.

"Are you ready?" Piper whispered, her voice soft and low.

Alex looked puzzled as Piper pressed in closer and wrapped one arm around her waist. Then a realization dawned upon her. "Oh, no. No, Pipes—I—I don't think it's a good idea—whoa—slow down!"

Piper laughed heartily as they ascended into the sky.

"What a way to impress a lady, Chapman," Alex grumbled, her arms wrapping around Piper's neck tighter.

"I want to deliver the news to Litchfield. Good news can't wait."

"Right now? You gotta be kidding me." Alex looked up into the dark sky above, opting to ignore the view below.

"I can take a little detour, if you want," Piper said, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

They rose higher and higher, swimming through in the cosmic pool of brilliant stars. Then she slowed down, enjoying the cool, soothing wind. Smiles on their faces. Stars in their eyes.

One arm around Alex's waist, Piper touched Alex's cheek with her free hand. The touch brought Alex's gaze down from the sky and upon her blue eyes. Piper was then lost in those green pools that were brighter than any stars around them. It was the moment that she fully realized that their paths had forever joined.

"I can't do easy, Alex," Piper whispered. "We both know that it won't be easy for us. But I'll do my best to walk down every path you will go, every flight you will take, happy or painful. I will be there. With you."

A smile on her lips, Alex leaned in, and Piper offered all she had. Their bodies pressed harder against each other. They hadn't felt this warm—heated—ever since they walked out of the ruins that morning, alive but dead. They had been buried in the wreck, living through nightmares and regrets. But all through the pain they had endured, it took just a glimmer of hope to break free from the hellish cycle. In the dark, they had finally found each other.

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**End**

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**A/N: **Wooooo! I haven't been able to finish a story in six years! This is very special to me. Thank you to all those who have given me kind words for this story. It meant so much to me. I really appreciate it. I got a new story starting. Check it out, if you're interested. See you around.


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